Scaly Mountain is a small unincorporated community along North Carolina highway 106, southwest of Highlands, North Carolina and northeast of Dillard, Georgia (about halfway between the two), and nearest to Sky Valley, Georgia just to the south-southwest. It is in far south-southeast Macon County, North Carolina, in far southwestern Highlands township, close to the Georgia and North Carolina state line. Scaly Mountain itself (formerly "Ski Scaly") is more like a large hill than a mountain, and was used for skiing until early 2004, when it reopened in December as a weekend snow tubing venue only. Nearby Sky Valley Resort also ceased being the only ski area in Georgia around the same time, due in large part to repeatedly warm winters since the mid-1990s, unlike the 1970s and 1980s in and after which they were founded. Both areas were opened due to their proximity to and accessibility from metro Atlanta, whose upscale north and northeastern suburbs lie roughly just 100 miles (160 km) or 150 kilometers to the southwest, and have since crept ever-closer. Scaly has three trails, one double-chair ski lift, and two ski tows spread across just 12 acres (49,000 m) or 5 hectares. The vertical rise is just 223 feet (68 m), from an elevation of 3,802 feet (1,159 m) at the base to 4,026 feet (1,227 m) at the top. Average annual snowfall is 38.2 inches (97 cm), but the entire usable area is covered by snowmaking. It is open from the day after Christmas (December 26) on weekends only, while weather conditions permit, usually into February.

What is toxic tort law?

Toxic Tort cases involve people who have been injured through exposure to dangerous pharmaceuticals or chemical substances in the environment, on the job, or in consumer products -- including carcinogenic agents, lead, benzene, silica, harmful solvents, hazardous waste, and pesticides to name a few.

Most toxic tort cases have arisen either from exposure to pharmaceutical drugs or occupational exposures. Most pharmaceutical toxic injury cases are mass tort cases, because drugs are consumed by thousands of people, many of whom become ill from a toxic drug. There have also been many occupational toxic tort cases, because industrial and other workers are often chronically exposed to toxic chemicals - more so than consumers and residents. Most of the law in this area arises from asbestos exposure, but thousands of toxic chemicals are used in industry and workers in these areas can experience a variety of toxic injuries. Unlike the general population, which is exposed to trace amounts of thousands of different chemicals in the environment, industrial workers are regularly exposed to much higher levels of chemicals and therefore have a greater risk of developing disease from particular chemical exposures than the general population. The home has recently become the subject of toxic tort litigation, mostly due to mold contamination, but also due to construction materials such as formaldehyde-treated wood and carpet. Toxic tort cases also arise when people are exposed to consumer products such as pesticides and suffer injury. Lastly, people can also be injured from environmental toxins in the air or in drinking water.

Answers to toxic tort law issues in North Carolina

In certain kinds of cases, lawyers charge what is called a contingency fee. Instead of billing by the hour, the...

Because of the health problems caused by lead poisoning, the federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction...

Property owners may be liable for tenant health problems caused by exposure to environmental hazards, such as...

In general, mass tort cases involve a large number of individual claimants with claims associated with a single...