Georgia Mesothelioma Lawyer

Trusted Mesothelioma & Asbestos Exposure Attorney in Georgia

The latency period between first asbestos exposure and a mesothelioma diagnosis is usually 20 to 50 years. This long gap is why many Georgia machinists are only diagnosed decades after they last worked around asbestos. However, once a diagnosis is made, mesothelioma usually progresses quickly.

If you or someone close to you has suffered mesothelioma, the attorneys at Wallace & Graham, P.A. are here to offer advice and advocacy. We handle asbestos claims for clients from Atlanta, Athens, Savannah, throughout Georgia, and across the United States.

Contact a mesothelioma litigation attorney today to discuss your possible personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit during a free, no-obligation consultation.

Georgia Machinists and Industrial Workers: Asbestos Exposure on the Job

Machinists in Georgia faced serious asbestos risk for decades. Many parts they cut, ground, or replaced were made with asbestos, including gaskets, pump packing, and brake and clutch linings. Lathe and mill operators were exposed while cutting, drilling, or boring asbestos-containing materials. Millwrights were exposed while replacing gaskets and repairing boilers and electrical parts. Maintenance machinists in plants, shipyards, and railroad workers faced the same risk, often from chrysotile asbestos, the type most commonly used in these products.

This risk was significant at Georgia’s paper mills in Savannah and Augusta, at Georgia Power plants, at the Savannah Shipyard and Port of Brunswick, and at older auto assembly plants such as the former Ford Atlanta Assembly plant in Hapeville and the former GM Doraville Assembly plant, both of which ran heavy machine-shop operations for decades before asbestos dangers were widely addressed.

Partners Bill Graham and Mona L. Wallace have decades of experience in mesothelioma litigation, supported by a dedicated team of experienced lawyers, paralegals, and support staff. We can fight to help you recover the compensation the law allows for your losses, including medical bills, wage loss, pain and suffering, and other hardships.

Mesothelioma Compensation and Claims

If asbestos exposure caused your mesothelioma, you may have more than one way to recover money.Some Georgia families end up pursuing some mix of a personal injury lawsuit, a wrongful death lawsuit, and claims against asbestos bankruptcy trust funds.

A personal injury lawsuit is filed by the person who was diagnosed, against the companies responsible for the asbestos exposure. If that person has since died, their family can generally bring a wrongful death lawsuit instead, or continue a personal injury claim that was already filed before death. Because mesothelioma often traces back to more than one product or job site, it may be possible to pursue claims against several companies at the same time.

Many of the companies that made or sold these asbestos products have since gone bankrupt. Under Section 524(g) of the federal Bankruptcy Code, a bankrupt company can be required to set aside money in a trust fund that pays current and future asbestos victims. More than 40 of these trusts are active today. Filing a trust fund claim does not require going to court, and it does not stop you from also suing companies that have not gone bankrupt.

Because trust funds sit outside the court system, it is possible to receive money from a trust fund claim while a lawsuit against other companies is still moving forward. Our attorneys review your full work history to decide which combination of a lawsuit, trust fund claims, or both gives you the strongest overall recovery, rather than filing only one type of claim by default.

How the Process Works

You do not need a complete list of every place you worked to get started. Even a general timeline of your jobs, along with your mesothelioma diagnosis, is often enough for us to begin identifying likely sources of exposure.

Here is what the process may look like:

1. We review your work and military history to find out where and how you were exposed to asbestos.
2. We gather your medical records and diagnosis, along with statements from coworkers or family members who can help confirm your exposure.
3. We identify the specific companies and products responsible, including any that have since filed for bankruptcy.
4. We file the appropriate lawsuit, trust fund claims, or both, and negotiate with the companies involved.
5. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we are prepared to take your case to trial.

Attorney Bill Graham has taken a case like this to trial and won. He represented the family of a Firestone tire-plant worker who developed mesothelioma, and in 2018 a North Carolina jury awarded the family $32.7 million. Past results do not guarantee an outcome in your case.

There is no cost to find out where you stand. A free case review does not obligate you to hire us, and we handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Our No. 1 concern is ensuring that clients get proper diagnosis and timely medical treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How were machinists in Georgia exposed to asbestos?

Machinists were exposed while cutting, grinding, or replacing parts made with asbestos, including gaskets, pump packing, and brake and clutch linings. This risk was highest in Georgia’s paper mills, power plants, shipyard workers, and older auto assembly plants.

Can I still file a claim if the company that exposed me is out of business?

Yes. Many asbestos companies set up trust funds to pay victims after going bankrupt, and you may also be able to sue other companies that made the asbestos products involved in your case.

How long do I have to file an asbestos claim in Georgia?

Georgia law generally gives you two years from your diagnosis to file a personal injury claim, or two years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim.

What compensation can I recover in a Georgia mesothelioma case?

You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses through a lawsuit, a settlement, or an asbestos trust fund claim. Every case is unique and decided on its own merits. Our attorneys have tried these cases to verdict, including a $32.7 million mesothelioma verdict in North Carolina.

Contact Our Georgia Asbestos Litigation Lawyers

Contact our Georgia mesothelioma attorneys today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Our practice is equipped to help clients statewide in Georgia, throughout the Southeast, and nationwide.

You do not have to figure this out on your own or track down decades-old employment records by yourself before you call. Our team can start that work with you whether you were a machinist, a millwright, a plant maintenance worker, or a family member calling on behalf of someone who has passed away.

Georgia Mesothelioma Resources