Asbestos naturally occurs along the southern Appalachian region of Georgia; this particular region provides the ideal condition for the formation of asbestiform minerals. Asbestos deposits can also be found in the northern part of Georgia.

Due to the prevalence of asbestos in Georgia, the Georgia Asbestos Program was founded to protect human health and the environment from activities that disturb asbestos. The program lost state funding, however, it continues to license asbestos contractors, approve asbestos supervisor training courses and collect asbestos abatement/demolition project notifications as mandated under the Georgia Asbestos Safety Act. The program is also responsible for providing training, assistance and inspections of K-12 schools; this part of the program is funded through a U.S. EPA grant.

Despite the regulations set forth to protect Georgia workers and residents from asbestos exposure, thousands of people have already been exposed. The material was once regarded a miracle material and used across several industries. Workers involved in manufacturing, packaging and shipping asbestos products as well as residents who live near the areas where asbestos naturally occurs have quite possibly been exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos fibers over the years.

If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of asbestos exposure, our Georgia mesothelioma lawyers may be able to help you. We have dedicated our practice to helping individuals and families who have been harmed by asbestos exposure and can help you get compensation you and your family need. For more information, contact us today.

Asbestos Industries in Georgia

Georgia has put itself on the map as a hub for domestic and global commerce by providing businesses with a no-cost training program, low corporate tax rates and unbeatable logistics. Some of the state’s booming industries include:

• Aerospace
• Agribusiness
• Automotive
• Defense
• Energy & environment
• Food processing
• Manufacturing

These industries and others have made the economy in Georgia boom; however, these industries (in the early 20th century especially) have also been responsible for exposing workers to asbestos. Today, workers are still feeling the effects as some symptoms can take up to 50 years to develop.

Cities with Asbestos Exposure Problems in Georgia

People who worked and/or lived in the below cities and towns for years in Georgia could have been exposed to asbestos:

• Athens
• Columbus
• Rome
• Savannah
• Valdosta
• East Point
• Gainesville
• West Point
• Atlanta
• Marietta
• Milledgeville

Industrial Exposure to Asbestos in Georgia

There are many powerplants located throughout Georgia, which were notorious in earlier years to be infested with asbestos. Asbestos also is present in many of the older buildings in this state, including the headquarters for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Also, Georgia Pacific used large quantities of materials containing asbestos in both its pulp and paper mills in Georgia and around the country. Much of this asbestos was used in the drying felts that were used to manufacture paper. Because that firm has been sued so many times for asbestos contamination, it set up a $665 million trust that regularly pays out mesothelioma claims.

Mesothelioma Statistics in Georgia

From 1980 until 2000, 540 people in Georgia died from asbestos diseases; about 60% of them were due to mesothelioma. Most of the deaths were in the urban parts of the state.

Asbestos Laws in Georgia

This state started to change its asbestos litigation laws in 2005. Lawmakers passed new laws that formed stricter filing requirements for cases related to asbestos exposure. The effect was almost instant as several pending cases were dismissed from state courts.

One example is in Fulton County State Court, where one judge heard the majority of the asbestos lawsuits in the state. After the new laws went into effect, the judge’s case load dropped from 1200 to about a dozen per year.

A large part of this caseload decline was due to the retroactive application of the new filing requirements that were passed in 2005. Several of the plaintiffs in the dismissed cases challenged the law. When they filed suit, they only had to prove that asbestos was a ‘contributing factor’ to their illness. They argued that the new laws were unconstitutional because they had a new requirement of proof – that the asbestos exposure alleged was a ‘substantial contributing factor.’

The supreme court of Georgia agreed, as they ruled that the law could not be retroactively applied.

The new asbestos litigation laws in Georgia feature these provisions:

• Medical criteria: People who have nonmalignant conditions as well as asbestos cancers must have prima facie evidence of being physically impaired before trial. However, mesothelioma claimants are not required to provide this evidence. Plaintiffs who have other types of asbestos cancer have to provide the court with a medical report from a doctor that shows that asbestos was a substantial contributing factor.
• Limits on who may file: Asbestos lawsuits only may be filed by residents of Georgia or people who lived there when they were exposed.
• Case consolidation: State courts in Georgia cannot consolidate cases of multiple claimants unless they have consent of all parties.
• Successor liability: State law limits successor liability to fair market value of the entire assets of the previous company at the time of the merger.

Mesothelioma Attorney Georgia

Millions of unknowing workers and family members in the U.S. have been wrongfully exposed to asbestos. Even when companies first discovered that asbestos was deadly, many chose to conceal the risks and continued to expose workers and their families. Our asbestos attorneys have dedicated our practice to helping individuals and families that have been affected by such unlawful corporate actions and have sought justice through compensation for many families.

We will advocate for your rights and help you recover compensation for damages such as:

• Past, present and future medical bills
• Long term treatment and care
• Decreased quality of life
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering

We understand the laws specific to your state and can help you get the full amount of compensation you and your family are owed. To find out how we can help you, schedule a free consultation by calling 1-800-352-0871.