Dart Meadows Reviews 2021 Georgia Court Rulings and Provides 2022 Forecast In Interview with The Fulton County Daily Report

Dart Meadows, partner in the Atlanta office and member of the Litigation Practice, reviewed 2021 Georgia court rulings and highlighted upcoming litigation trends in an interview with The Fulton County Daily Report, published on December 21, 2021.  In the article, Dart comments on the increasing challenges in defending negligent security claims in premise liability cases, the latest trends in product liability and growing concerns over radical verdicts. Additionally, he discussed ongoing hurdles related to Georgia’s apportionment statute which allows fault to be apportioned to non-parties and the impact of a recent appellate court decision that held the statute does not allow damages to be apportioned to a nonparty in cases in which there is only one named defendant. Dart, who was named president of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (GDLA) earlier this year, highlighted the anticipated lasting effects of COVID-19 on the legal industry, drawing examples from his first-hand experience as a trial lawyer with cases that take him all across the U.S.  Dart mentioned the increase in video depositions and reliance on technology and increase of mediation, with many judges requiring civil cases to be mediated before being scheduled on a trial docket.

Founded over 50 years ago, GDLA is a statewide organization dedicated to the training and development of civil defense attorneys in Georgia by providing educational programming, thought leadership and networking opportunities for its 960 members.

Dart is a trial lawyer with 38 years of experience in successfully resolving complex disputes. He has tried dozens of cases in state and federal court, and has defended litigation claims and suits in over 40 states. His focus is on business litigation, product liability, healthcare, and real estate litigation. Dart’s clients include publicly-traded and privately-held corporations, manufacturers, distributors, and individuals. He has a national practice representing domestic and international power tool and woodworking machinery manufacturers, distributors, and dealers in product liability litigation. Dart has been actively involved with the GDLA for more than a decade. He has served in various leadership capacities, including roles as treasurer and secretary of the organization’s executive committee.