Suing Counties

The Georgia Constitution grants counties sovereign immunity, and therefore a Georgia county can be sued only with proof of a waiver of sovereign immunity. The waivers provided in the GTCA do not apply to counties. Georgia counties enjoy broad immunity with few exceptions. An important exception is the statutory waiver codified in O.C.G.A. § 33-24-51 for car accidents caused by the neglect of county employees. Additionally, while the county is insulated from suit for the wrongful acts of its employees, in certain circumstances county employees can be sued in their personal capacity. Like the State, there is a specific 12-month window of opportunity after an accident for injured victims to act. It is imperative that you speak with knowledgeable attorneys like the specialists at The Eisenberg Firm to fully understand your remedies against a county or county employee.