Stone and engineered stone fabricators silicosis lawsuit investigation

Quartz countertop silicosis: Who’s affected?

Do you work in stone countertop fabrication? Have you been diagnosed with silicosis?

In the last decade, silicosis, a progressive lung disease, has become more common among stone fabricators including workers who make quartz countertops. Silicosis involves prolonged, expensive treatments and may even require a lung transplant. Although new research is drawing attention to this issue, thousands of quartz countertop workers may put themselves at risk for silicosis just by going to work.

Unfortunately, stone fabricators may not have been sufficiently warned by mining companies and manufacturers about the risk for silicosis, meaning they did not know they needed protective equipment to prevent the disease. Stone workers who developed silicosis may be able to take legal action against big manufacturers and mining operations to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost income, permanent disability and other financial damages associated with silicosis. Bereaved family members whose loved ones died of quartz countertop silicosis may also be able to take legal action for wrongful death.

What is silicosis?

Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling small bits of silica, a mineral found in quartz, sand and other stone materials. Long-term exposure to these particles can damage the lungs and cause scarring, making it difficult to breathe.

Symptoms of silicosis include a persistent cough and progressive shortness of breath. Treatment can include inhalable medications, supplemental oxygen, pulmonary rehabilitation and, if silicosis is severe enough, a lung transplant. Unfortunately, even when wel-managed, silicosis can put people at risk for autoimmune conditions, tuberculosis, lung cancer, COPD and kidney disease.

Silicosis is an occupational hazard for many workers who deal with silica dust, including those working in construction and mining. According to the American Lung Association, around 2.3 million U.S. workers are exposed to silica in the workplace. However, because silicosis takes 10 to 30 years to develop, workers may not realize they are at risk for a life-threatening disease until their lungs are already damaged. Unfortunately, stone fabrication employers may have also been unaware of this risk due to concealment by mining companies and engineered stone manufacturers.

Can you get silicosis from quartz countertops?

Although construction and mining are commonly thought of as the occupations most at-risk for silicosis, stone fabrication workers may also be at risk for the disease. According to researchers from UC San Francisco and UCLA, artificial stone fabrication workers are developing silicosis at an “alarming rate.”

“Increasing case counts of silicosis among stone fabricators over the last 10 years and accelerated progression of disease transforms the paradigm of an all-but-previously-forgotten disease in the U.S.,” study co-author Dr. Jane Fazio, a pulmonary specialist at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, says.

The first U.S. case of silicosis among artificial stone workers was recorded in Texas in 2015. Since then, young Latino men in California have reportedly become the primary demographic impacted by quartz countertop silicosis.

One such young man was diagnosed with advanced silicosis at only 27 years of age, the New York Post reports. He started working in quartz countertop fabrication at 17 and even used protective equipment while working in the industry. According to the New York Post, the man only realized he had advanced silicosis after he went to the emergency room for shortness of breath. Now, he waits for a lung transplant.

Join a quartz countertop silicosis lawsuit investigation

Stone countertop fabrication workers, particularly those who work with engineered stonelike quartz, could face an increased risk of silicosis. Big corporations responsible for the mining and manufacturers of stone countertops could be liable for cases of silicosis amongst stone fabricators. According to Marble.com, there are 276 natural stone quarries in the United States, with the top producers found in Texas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin and Georgia. There are even more manufacturers of engineered stone. A personal injury lawsuit against stone mining corporations or manufacturers could help injured workers recover compensation for medical expenses, disability, wrongful death and more.

If you or a loved one developed silicosis after working with stone countertops, you may qualify to participate in quartz countertop silicosis lawsuit investigation.

Please fill out the form on this page to see if you qualify for a FREE case evaluation.