Liability for malicious acts of minor child

(a) Every parent or guardian having the custody and control over a minor child or children under the age of 18 shall be liable in an amount not to exceed $10,000.00 plus court costs for the willful or malicious acts of the minor child or children resulting in reasonable medical expenses to another, damage to the property of another, or both reasonable medical expenses and damage to property. (b) This Code section shall be cumulative and shall not be restrictive of any remedies now available to any person, firm, or corporation for injuries or damages arising out of the acts, torts, or negligence of a minor child under the ‘‘family-purpose car doctrine,’’ any statute, or common law in force and effect in this state. 284 51-2-3 (c) The intent of the General Assembly in passing this Code section is to provide for the public welfare and aid in the control of juvenile delinquency, not to provide restorative compensation to victims of injurious or tortious conduct by children. (Ga. L. 1956, p. 699, § 1; Ga. L. 1966, p. 424, § 1; Ga. L. 1976, p. 511, § 2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 849, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1987, p. 3, § 51; Ga. L. 1997, p. 532, § 1.) History of Code section. — Georgia Laws 1976, p. 511, § 2 entirely superseded the former section which was held unconstitutional in Corley v. Lewless, 227 Ga. 745, 182 S.E.2d 766 (1971), insofar as it made parents liable without limits for willful torts of their children which resulted in personal injury.