Jackson v. Auto-Owners Insurance Company
The case
Woodrow Jackson v. Auto-Owners Insurance Company, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, July 14, 2025, Case No. 7:24-cv-136-WLS, Doc. 21. Copy of primary document: `~/workspace/goals/ai-sanctions-case-monitoring/files/sources/D-71-jackson-v-auto-owners.pdf`.
What happened
Plaintiff's counsel Brian Braddy filed a response to a motion to dismiss containing AI-hallucinated case citations. He admitted he had used AI to prepare the response, said the filed version was never intended to be filed (a staff member filed it over his signature), and acknowledged he is ultimately responsible for all documents filed under his signature. The court found recklessness but not bad faith.
The rule and the sanction
Violation of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b). Sanctions: $1,000 payable into the registry of the Clerk; completion of an approved CLE course on artificial intelligence with a component addressing counsel's ethical and legal obligations, within 90 days, with a compliance notice filed by October 17, 2025; payment of defendant's reasonable attorneys' fees and costs for researching and replying to the response and attending the June 3, 2025 show-cause hearing (amount to be conferred and reported by joint notice by July 28, 2025); and prompt delivery of a copy of the order to his client. The order also directs the Clerk of the Court to serve a copy of it on the Chief Judge of each United States District Court in Georgia, because Braddy and his firm are involved in similar litigation throughout the state. Braddy and his firm, Your Insurance Attorney PLLC, are jointly responsible for the $1,000 sanction and the fees and costs. Source URL: the primary PDF (Charlotin documents archive: /documents/593/JACKSON_v._AUTO_OWNERS_INSURANCE_COMPANY_USA_14_July_2025.pdf, https://www.damiencharlotin.com/documents/593/JACKSON_v._AUTO_OWNERS_INSURANCE_COMPANY_USA_14_July_2025.pdf).
How it could have been avoided
Review every document before it is filed, regardless of who prepared or uploaded it; the signing attorney owns it. Check every case citation in an AI-drafted document as you would one drafted by a paralegal. Respond to show-cause orders with a sworn, direct explanation that addresses the court's questions on the first try.