Georgia Bill Targets “Runners” and Makes Accident Solicitation a Felony
A car accident is disorienting enough.
But for many people in Georgia, what happens next can be just as unsettling. They are inundated with calls and messages from people they’ve never met, all somehow aware of the crash.
Runner or ambulance-chasing activity in Georgia has been a known problem for years. Injured people have been tracked down almost immediately, their information passed around and used for profit before they’ve even had a chance to process what happened.
Georgia’s House Bill 1344, known as the Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act, takes aim at this unethical practice.
House Bill 1344 (HB 1344) is a broad insurance reform measure that makes sweeping changes across the industry. The legislation addresses everything from increased penalties for lapses in motor vehicle insurance coverage to expanded fraud reporting, post-catastrophe claims handling rules, and the creation of a statewide storm damage mitigation program.
For personal injury attorneys, one provision stands out.
A portion of HB 1344 takes direct aim at the long-standing issue of runners, individuals who obtain accident information and use it to solicit injured people, often immediately after a crash, for financial gain. These individuals often quickly reach out to injured people, steering them toward certain lawyers or medical providers in exchange for compensation.
While this conduct has previously been addressed under Georgia law and could result in misdemeanor-level consequences or professional discipline, enforcement has historically been inconsistent. The practice has persisted, in part, because the penalties were not strong enough to deter it.
Under HB 1344, the solicitation of accident victims using crash report information and the broader ecosystem that supports it, including selling or distributing that data for profit, is now tied to insurance fraud enforcement.
Violations can rise to felony-level offenses, carrying serious consequences, including substantial fines of up $200,000 dollars per violation and potential prison time up to 10 years.
This is no longer just an ethical issue or a regulatory concern. It is now being treated as part of a broader effort to combat insurance fraud in the state.
The use of runners has long created challenges within the legal profession by eroding trust in ethical attorneys and exposing injured individuals to aggressive and often unwanted contact at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.
This bill allows injured people to choose who they trust with their case and who they want to represent them without having to be harassed by unethical runners.
For firms that have built their practices on client relationships, reputation, and referrals, this is a meaningful step forward.
If enforced as intended, HB 1344 has the potential to reduce abuse, protect injured people, and restore a more transparent and ethical process for connecting clients with legal representation.
For Brooks Law Partners, that is a change worth welcoming.
HB 1344 passed out of the House and Senate. If signed by the Governor, this law would go into effect on January 1st, 2027.