When it comes to truck wrecks in Georgia, the state's direct action statute enables a plaintiff to sue both the defendant and its insurance company.

A $1 million settlement reached in a Gwinnett County crash has clarified that the direct action statute applies against a motor carrier's insurer whether the defendant is operating for hire, or carrying their own property, according to a pair of Atlanta litigators.

"Having fought it to conclusion, this is significant," said plaintiff attorney Jeb Butler of Butler Kahn.

'A Favorable Order'

Butler teamed with co-counsel Matt Kahn to represent a Gwinnett County woman injured by an Atlanta truck driver who'd "darted out" onto Brooks Road from a Lawrenceville subdivision," according to the plaintiff complaint.