§ 46-5-191 — Cause of action for damages resulting from violations of this article

In the event that the remedies provided by Code Section 46-5-185 fail to restore a person or entity to that person's or entity's selected primary carrier of local exchange or long distance service and fail to reimburse the person or entity for the difference between the charges for the unauthorized and the authorized service, within 90 days of the person's or entity's report of an unwanted, unauthorized change of a primary local exchange or long distance carrier to the carriers or the commission as provided in Code Section 46-5-185 , then such person or entity whose primary carrier of local exchange or long distance service has been switched in violation of this article may bring an action to recover damages from the telecommunications company responsible for the violation. The superior, magistrate, and state courts of this state shall have jurisdiction over such actions. Notwithstanding any provision of Code Section 46-2-9 to the contrary, such action may be brought in any county of this state in which the telecommunications company transacts business within 24 months of the date of the unauthorized switch of a primary carrier; provided, however, that the running of the statute of limitations shall be tolled during the 90 day period during which the matter is under investigation pursuant to Code Section 46-5-185 . Such action shall proceed in all respects like other civil suits for damages, except that on the trial of such suits any findings of the commission made pursuant to Code Section 46-5-190 shall be prima-facie evidence of the facts stated therein, and damages shall be calculated as three times the amount of the difference between the charges for the unauthorized and the authorized service from the date of the unauthorized switch in the complainant's service. A prevailing plaintiff shall be awarded reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses of litigation incurred in connection with an action brought under this Code section.