ATLANTA, GA August 3, 2015 – Today, Georgia Watch released its seventh Court Watch Report, which analyzes decisions of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals that have a significant impact on consumers. The topics covered in the 2014 Court Watch Report include: access to justice; government transparency and accountability; healthcare, torts, insurance, and consumer finance.
The purpose of the Court Watch Report is to give consumers insight on how recent decisions of Georgia’s appellate courts impact them. For example, the 2014 Report includes two Georgia Supreme Court cases that detail the difficulties plaintiffs may face in trying to form a class action lawsuit. Additionally, this year’s Report analyzes various cases depicting how challenging it can be for consumers to bring actions against state agencies claiming sovereign immunity. The 2014 Report also covers several medical malpractice cases, including two cases in which the Court of Appeals explains that registered nurses and certified nurse midwives may offer expert testimony at trial, when testifying in their area of expertise.
The 2014 Court Watch Report was written largely by Jack W. Roberts, a 2016 J.D. candidate at Emory University School of Law and the Georgia Watch Fall 2014 Court Watch Fellow. Select information in the report was provided by Dalton Windham, J.D. and Katie Villalobos, J.D., both 2015 graduates of Emory University School of Law, and Lindsey Stephens, J.D., 2015 graduate of Duke University School of Law. Adriana Jaume, a 2016 J.D. candidate at Emory University School of Law, also made significant contributions.
Court Watch is a program of Georgia Watch. Founded in 2002, Georgia Watch is a statewide consumer advocacy organization whose mission is to empower and protect Georgia consumers on matters that impact their wallets and quality of life through education, advocacy and policy development. Georgia Watch works to influence public policies that positively impact consumers, safeguard consumer protections in the area of personal finance, promote access to safe and affordable healthcare, encourage fair utility rates and renewable energy options, protect the right to trial by jury and promote access to the courts.