Abogado especializado en exposición al asbesto de los trabajadores del astillero Georgia

Shipyard Workers Asbestos Exposure Attorney in Georgia

A Georgia shipyard workers asbestos exposure lawyer can represent those who worked with, around, or in close proximity to asbestos products and materials while building, repairing, and/or maintaining ships that traveled up and down Georgia’s coast and inland waterways for many decades.

Asbestos was used in the building and repairing of ships for many years because it is heat-resistant and durable. Georgia shipyard workers were unknowingly exposed to, handled, or worked around these asbestos-containing products without any knowledge of the health risks.

Wallace & Graham, P.A. focus on current and former Georgia shipyard workers whose health has been negatively impacted by negligent industrial practices. We seek to hold manufacturers and suppliers accountable for asbestos exposure without warning or protection.

Contrate a un abogado especializado en exposición al asbesto de los trabajadores de astilleros

En Wallace & Graham, P.A., our workers’ compensation lawyers have decades of experience representing workers who have been injured due to occupational exposure to asbestos, including shipyard workers. Nuestros abogados are familiar with how asbestos was used in the shipbuilding and repair industry and how workers in all trades could be exposed.

We work with medical professionals and industry specialists to review work histories, determine liable companies, and seek responsible parties through hard evidence and litigation.

Asbestos Exposure in Georgia’s Coastal and Inland Shipyards

Shipyard workers in Georgia were exposed to asbestos while building, repairing, and maintaining ships along the Atlantic Coast and inland waterways. In shipyards in Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia, workers were exposed to asbestos insulation, piping, boilers, gaskets, and fireproofing for many years. Asbestos exposure in these facilities commonly occurred during maintenance and repair work rather than during specific tasks involving asbestos materials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2.669 nuevos casos de mesotelioma in the U.S. in 2022, but asbestos exposures leading to these illnesses typically occurred years or decades earlier. Many shipyard workers in Georgia were exposed to asbestos multiple times over many years, and they risk developing asbestos-related illness later in life.

Long-Term Health Consequences for Georgia Shipyard Workers

In shipyard environments, asbestos exposure has well-known links to pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestos-related pleural disorders, including pleural plaques and pleural thickening. Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and is the most common form of mesothelioma. Medical research indexed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine estimates that 80% of mesothelioma cases are pleural.

These diseases can take years or even decades to develop, which is why so many Georgia shipyard workers are not diagnosed until long after retirement. For workers who spent time in the shipyards in the mid-to-late twentieth century, this delay in onset also makes it difficult to medically diagnose the diseases and to make the connection to their occupational exposure in the past.

Legal Accountability for Asbestos Use in Georgia Shipyards

Georgia asbestos claims may involve third-party liability for shipyard work. Manufacturers and suppliers may face claims for failure to warn or defective design of asbestos products. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 establishes a 2-year limitations period for personal injury actions.

In occupational disease cases, Georgia law acknowledges that the injury may not be known or discoverable at the time of exposure. The timing of when a claim accrues requires a case-specific review of medical diagnosis, symptom history, and evidence of exposure related to shipyard employment.

Preguntas frecuentes

Who May Be Held Liable for Asbestos Exposure at a Georgia Shipyard?

The liability of an employer is not the only source of a Georgia shipyard asbestos claim. A claim may also be made against the manufacturer, supplier, or distributor of asbestos-containing products used at a shipyard. This liability is determined by product design, failure to warn, and knowledge of asbestos dangers, not the job title or employment relationship of a worker.

Does Georgia Law Allow Claims for Exposure That Occurred Decades Ago?

The Georgia courts recognize that there may be a lengthy period of time before an asbestos-related illness is discoverable. As such, a claim is analyzed by looking at when the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, as opposed to when the injury occurred. For this reason, timing analysis and medical support are of particular significance in shipyard asbestos litigation.

Can a Claim Proceed if the Shipyard or Company No Longer Exists?

Claims may still be pursued even where the shipyard has closed, or the company changed its structure or been dissolved. Liability may be pursued through successor companies, insurers or other parties who may be legally responsible. A determination as to whether or not a valid claim may exist involves an examination of the corporate history and product distribution records of the shipyard.

What Role Do Employment Records Play in a Georgia Asbestos Case?

Employment records are one method to show where and when work at a shipyard took place, but they are not the only type of evidence that can be used to prove a claim. Testimony, historical records, and professional opinion can be used to help determine and reconstruct exposure history. Incomplete or missing records do not automatically bar a claim from proceeding under Georgia law.

Can a Georgia Shipyard Asbestos Claim Involve More Than One Defendant?

Yes, Georgia shipyard asbestos cases often have multiple defendants. A worker may have been exposed to products made by or supplied by different companies over many years. A single shipyard job may have hundreds of manufacturers, general contractors, and electrical contractors. Georgia law allows a legal claim to name several parties responsible for the harm when the evidence shows shared or cumulative responsibility for asbestos exposure.

Contact a Georgia Shipyard Workers Asbestos Exposure Lawyer

Georgia shipyard asbestos cases demand precise legal evaluation, thorough investigation, and a deep understanding of prolonged occupational exposure. Determining liable companies and preserving evidence are crucial to protect your legal rights.

Wallace & Graham, P.A. represents Georgia shipyard workers and families affected by asbestos exposure with experience, focus, and attention to detail. Concertar una consulta to hire a shipyard workers asbestos exposure lawyer today.