New Georgia Law Protects Truckers on Liability

As of this month, under a new Georgia law carriers in that state can no longer be forced to accept unwarranted insurance liability in order to get a special permit.

Until now, truckers who applied for annual special permits to exceed the state’s height limitations were required to pay indemnity bonds or show proof of insurance protection for $300,000.

State law required that such payments and proof be held in trust for the benefit of the owners of traffic signals or such structures as bridges. And the liability for the carrier was “absolute,” meaning the carrier paid for any damage, regardless of whether the carrier was proven negligent.