Silicosis Lawsuit Lawyers
For countertop and stone fabrication workers diagnosed with silicosis from engineered stone. National representation.
If you have been diagnosed with silicosis — or a related lung condition — after working as a countertop fabricator, stone cutter, installer, or polisher, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer of the engineered stone products you worked with.
Silicosis from engineered stone countertops is an emerging occupational health crisis affecting workers across the United States. Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC represents seriously injured workers and their families nationally. We work on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Diagnosed with silicosis after working with stone countertops? Call (860) 589-8000 for a free case evaluation — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What Is Engineered Stone Silicosis?
Engineered stone — also sold as quartz countertop surface, and under brand names including Caesarstone, Cambria, Silestone, and others — is composed of over 90% crystalline silica by weight. This is significantly higher than natural stone materials such as granite (40–50% silica) or marble (less than 10% silica).
When workers cut, grind, edge, drill, or polish engineered stone, fine particles of crystalline silica become airborne. If these particles are inhaled, they lodge in the deepest parts of the lungs where they cannot be removed. Over time — and with engineered stone, often after just 7 to 15 years of exposure — this leads to a condition called silicosis: permanent, progressive scarring of the lung tissue.
There is no cure for silicosis. It is incurable and irreversible. In its most severe form — accelerated silicosis — the disease progresses rapidly to progressive massive fibrosis, a condition that destroys lung function and frequently requires a lung transplant. Many workers diagnosed with accelerated silicosis are in their 30s and 40s.
Who Is at Risk?
Workers in the following roles are at elevated risk of developing silicosis from engineered stone exposure:
- •Countertop fabricators — workers who cut, shape, edge, and polish engineered stone slabs
- •Stone countertop installers — workers who cut and fit countertops on-site
- •Kitchen and bathroom renovation workers — those who work regularly with engineered stone products
- •Warehouse and distribution workers at stone fabrication facilities
- •Family members of fabrication workers — take-home silica dust on clothing has been linked to secondary exposure in some cases
The risk is highest in shops where dry cutting is used without adequate ventilation, water suppression, or respiratory protection — conditions that have been documented at facilities across the United States.
Symptoms of Silicosis
Silicosis is often not diagnosed until the disease has progressed significantly. Early symptoms include:
- •Persistent cough — often dismissed as a minor respiratory issue
- •Shortness of breath — initially on exertion, later at rest
- •Fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance
- •Weight loss in more advanced cases
Because symptoms can take 7 to 15 or more years to appear, and because they are non-specific, many workers are not diagnosed until the disease is at an advanced stage. If you have worked in stone fabrication and are experiencing any of these symptoms, seek medical evaluation immediately and speak to an attorney.
Why These Cases Are Actionable
Engineered stone manufacturers — including Caesarstone, Cambria, Silestone/Cosentino, and others — have known for years about the elevated silica content of their products and the health risks that cutting and fabricating their products poses to workers. Manufacturers in Australia, Spain, Israel, and the United States faced silicosis clusters among stone workers beginning in the early 2010s.
Despite this knowledge, many manufacturers failed to provide adequate warnings to fabricators, failed to require safe handling protocols, and continued to market their products without disclosing the silicosis risk.
The legal claims in silicosis cases typically include:
- •Product liability — failure to warn about the dangers of silica dust inhalation
- •Negligence — failure to design or manufacture products with adequate safety properties
- •Fraudulent concealment — evidence in some cases suggests manufacturers knew of international silicosis clusters and suppressed information
- •Wrongful death — in cases where silicosis has caused death
Important: Workers' compensation claims against your employer do not prevent you from filing a separate product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of the engineered stone products. These are two distinct legal claims and can be pursued concurrently.
The Legal Landscape — National Verdicts and Settlements
In August 2024, a Los Angeles County jury awarded $52.4 million to a 34-year-old countertop fabricator who developed progressive massive fibrosis and required a double lung transplant after 15 years of exposure to engineered stone. It was the first silicosis verdict of its kind in the United States, against Caesarstone USA, Cambria Company LLC, and Color Marble.
A $26+ million pre-trial settlement followed in California in April 2025. Cases are now being filed across the country — including in Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts — as the epidemic spreads beyond its origin in California.
In December 2025, Massachusetts health authorities issued an alert after confirming the first silicosis diagnosis in the state in a worker who had fabricated countertops for 14 years. This is not a California problem.
Our Firm's Advantage in These Cases
Most personal injury attorneys who handle product liability cases do not have a scientific background. Edward A. Jazlowiecki holds both a law degree and a degree in chemical engineering — a combination that gives our firm a distinct analytical advantage in silicosis litigation.
Understanding how respirable crystalline silica particles behave in the lung, the difference between silica content in engineered vs natural stone, the industrial hygiene standards that govern permissible exposure limits, and the failure modes in dust control systems requires scientific literacy that most attorneys do not have. We do.
This is the same technical advantage that has served our firm in 50+ years of mesothelioma and asbestos litigation — which also requires a deep understanding of fibrous mineral compounds and their biological effects. Silicosis from engineered stone is the next chapter of that same story.
Who Can File a Silicosis Claim?
You may be eligible to file a silicosis claim if:
- •You have been diagnosed with silicosis, progressive massive fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, or a related lung condition
- •You worked as a countertop fabricator, stone cutter, installer, or in a related role involving engineered stone products
- •Your exposure occurred at a fabrication shop, on construction sites, or in any setting where engineered stone was cut, ground, or polished
- •A family member has died from silicosis following occupational stone exposure
You do not need to know the specific brand of stone you worked with. Our attorneys can investigate your exposure history and identify all potentially liable manufacturers and distributors.
Statute of Limitations
The deadline to file a silicosis claim varies by state — generally two to three years from the date of diagnosis, or from the date you knew or reasonably should have known that your lung condition was caused by silica exposure. Because symptoms often appear years after the initial exposure, the clock typically runs from diagnosis rather than from the start of your employment.
Do not wait. Contact us as soon as you receive a diagnosis to ensure your legal rights are preserved.
Free Case Evaluation — No Fee Unless We Win
If you or a family member have been diagnosed with silicosis or a related lung condition after working with stone countertops, contact Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC for a free, confidential case evaluation. We handle silicosis cases nationally on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Diagnosed with silicosis or a lung condition after working with stone countertops? Contact Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC for a free case evaluation. Call (860) 589-8000 — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No fee unless we win.
Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki Law
We have been protecting the rights of the severely injured since 1974. We aggressively represent our clients!
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