Georgia Mesothelioma Lawyers

How To Find and Choose a Georgia Mesothelioma Lawyer

Choose a law firm with decades of asbestos and mesothelioma experience and success in Georgia courts. Specialized attorneys know how to navigate the state’s legal process and overcome common obstacles, making what can feel overwhelming more manageable.

Asbestos exposure was all too common in Georgia industries. Decades later, this exposure can result in a mesothelioma diagnosis. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2018 to 2022, the mesothelioma incidence rate was 0.50 per 100,000 people and 279 new diagnoses were reported. Filing a claim can help survivors and family members cover medical care costs.

Law firms with nationwide reach have helped Georgia families recover more than $160 million. Asbestos lawyers offer trustworthy guidance and can help you get fair compensation. Some mesothelioma firms have secured thousands of successful trial verdicts and negotiated settlements for clients.

Weitz & Luxenberg

• $8.5 Billion Recovered
• Serves Clients Nationwide
• Rated #1 by U.S. News & World Report for 2022

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Simmons Hanly Conroy

• $8.9 Billion Recovered
• Serves Clients Nationwide
• Rated a Tier 1 Law Firm in 2022 by U.S. News & World Report

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Meirowitz & Wasserberg

• $200 Million Recovered
• Serves Clients Nationwide
• Rated in the Top 10 Asbestos and Mesothelioma Trial Lawyers

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Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Georgia

In Georgia, most asbestos exposure cases end in a mesothelioma settlement. Top firms practicing in Georgia have secured settlements worth more than $1 million for some clients. There have also been notable trial verdicts in the state.

A Chatham County jury awarded $4.9 million in mesothelioma compensation to the estate of Perry Wilson Adams in 2016. He worked as a multi-craft mechanic at an Alabama paper mill from 1968-1985 and died from mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos gaskets and packing materials. John Crane Inc. was found 40.5% liable for failing to warn about their chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos products.

Former sheet metal worker Roy Knight initially won a $4.2 million jury verdict against Scapa Dryer Fabrics for mesothelioma in 2016. He worked at Scapa’s Waycross facility between 1967 and 1973. The Georgia Supreme Court reversed this verdict, ruling plaintiffs must prove a defendant’s exposure of workers to asbestos constituted a “meaningful contributing factor” to their disease and excluding key expert testimony. Co-defendant Union Carbide then settled for an undisclosed amount.

These cases underscore the importance of working with an experienced and knowledgeable Georgia mesothelioma lawyer. If one of the defendants in your case has declared bankruptcy, your attorney can also help you file a claim with an asbestos trust fund. Asbestos manufacturers establish these funds during Chapter 11 proceedings to provide compensation for current and future claimants.

How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Georgia?

A mesothelioma lawyer can help you file a legal claim. Law firms know that mesothelioma survivors often need ongoing medical care, so you can expect your attorney to make the process as comfortable as possible for you.

Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim

1. Initial consultation: An attorney will travel to you to talk and learn more about the details of your case. They’ll assess a strategy to pursue the most financial assistance possible.
2. Filing your claim: Your Georgia mesothelioma lawyer will make sure your claim is filed within Georgia’s statute of limitations, which is 2 years from your mesothelioma diagnosis for a personal injury lawsuit or 2 years from the death of a loved one for a wrongful death lawsuit.
3. Gathering evidence: Your legal team traces your asbestos exposure and builds your case with medical records, work documents and witness statements.
4. Discovery: The discovery process allows attorneys to gather further evidence, taking depositions, including interviews with the defense about exposure risks at worksites like Georgia’s 17 former asbestos mines. 
5. Settlement negotiations: Your lawyer will work to negotiate a fair settlement for you. Your lawyer will also be fully prepared to represent you and fight for a successful trial verdict in court if your case proceeds to a trial.

Asbestos lawyers can also help you file your mesothelioma claim in a jurisdiction outside of Georgia, depending on the specific details of your case. This could be the case if your exposure happened in another state or the defendant is headquartered elsewhere.

Find a Mesothelioma Lawyer in Georgia

Get help finding an attorney who knows the process and can get you and your family the compensation you deserve.

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Asbestos Exposure in Georgia

Asbestos exposure in Georgia mainly happened at work. Power plant work, manufacturing jobs and military sites exposed many individuals to asbestos-containing products, especially from the 1940s to the 1970s.

Georgia Sites Known for Asbestos

• Atlanta’s Centers for Disease Control
• Bowen Power Plant
• Fort McPherson
• Fort Stewart
• Georgia State Farmers Market
• Hickory Lake Apartments
• Hicks Asbestos Mine
• Hollywood Asbestos Mill and Mine
• Hunter Army Airfield
• H. V. M. Miller Asbestos Mine
• Jekyll Island Historical Power Plant
• Lawrenceville High School
• Miller Property
• Pig Pen Mountain Mine
• The Sall Mountain Asbestos Company Mine

Georgia also has 52 naturally occurring asbestos deposits, and it was home to 17 asbestos mines until the 1950s. Miners, workers at the processing plants and nearby residents were at risk of exposure to raw asbestos.

Georgia-Pacific Corporation Facilities

Headquartered in Atlanta, pulp and paper company Georgia-Pacific Corporation has defended nearly 300,000 asbestos claims since the 1960s. In 1965, GP purchased Bestwall, a manufacturer of construction products that contained asbestos. Up until 1977, Bestwall’s Ready-Mix joint compound exposed construction workers and drywall installers to toxic asbestos fibers.

Workers at Bestwall factories and GP paper mills also faced high risks of asbestos exposure. The company was aware of the dangers, but it didn’t warn employees or inform consumers. According to a key court opinion, GP funded studies in 2005 to defend against asbestos lawsuits, with its in-house counsel extensively reviewing manuscripts before publication, but the published articles failed to disclose this legal involvement and in some cases falsely stated that GP didn’t participate in study design or manuscript preparation.

In 2017, facing 60,000 asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits, GP used a controversial Texas bankruptcy law, known commonly as the “Texas Two-Step,” to divide into separate companies and shift all asbestos liability to Bestwall LLC. The “new company” immediately declared bankruptcy. The Texas Two-Step is controversial because it allows profitable corporations to effectively shield assets within the parent company while plaintiffs await the creation of an asbestos trust fund in the bankruptcy process, delaying justice.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Georgia 

Asbestos exposure at work in Georgia most often happened at mines, industrial plants and military bases. Veterans in Georgia were exposed to asbestos products at several of the state’s 13 bases. Military personnel who develop mesothelioma may also file VA claims for benefits and health care coverage in Georgia.

Jobs With High Exposure Risk in Georgia

• Construction workers
• Manufacturing workers
• Military veterans
• Miners
• Power generation workers
• Shipbuilders

Families of asbestos workers were also at risk of secondhand exposure at home. People with mesothelioma have sued companies in Georgia over asbestos exposure, such as Georgia-Pacific, Keebler Company, Bowen Power Plant and CSX Transportation Inc.

How Your Lawyer Supports You in Georgia’s Changing Asbestos Litigation

Georgia’s asbestos litigation landscape has shifted significantly since 2005. State lawmakers have adopted state laws with strict new filing requirements, making it more challenging for claimants. In just one year, state courts went from handling 1,200 asbestos cases to about a dozen cases annually. These shifts demonstrate the importance of working with an experienced Georgia mesothelioma lawyer.

Georgia Legislative Changes

• Asbestos and Silica Litigation Reform Act (2007): In addition to complex rules for asbestos lawsuits, this act changed laws so that only current Georgia residents, or people who were living in the state when they were exposed to asbestos, can file mesothelioma claims.
• Georgia Code Section 51-14-4: For asbestos-related personal injury lawsuits involving non-cancer conditions, patients must provide a medical report from a board-certified doctor. For these nonmalignant asbestos injuries, courts also require documentation of exposure history, smoking history, and employment records, along with X-rays and pulmonary function tests.
• Section 51-14-7: During the filing process, you must fill out a document with specific dates and locations of asbestos exposure, along with the specific products or companies responsible. A mesothelioma lawyer can help you complete this document and gather the necessary evidence.
• Section 51-15-4: If another company buys out or merges with a corporation that had asbestos liabilities, the new organization is only responsible for asbestos lawsuits up to the old company’s value. Because mesothelioma takes decades to appear, many legal experts argue this law is unfair to patients today.

These regulatory changes make mesothelioma cases more difficult in Georgia, but experienced law firms have successfully overcome these challenges. A top lawyer takes the time to explain all of your options for fair compensation and communicates with you throughout the process.