Across California, workers who spent years cutting, grinding, polishing, and installing engineered stone countertops are facing a devastating diagnosis: silicosis, a permanent and potentially life-threatening lung disease caused by breathing respirable crystalline silica dust.
For many, the diagnosis comes as a complete surprise.
They spent years building beautiful kitchens, bathrooms, and commercial spaces without knowing that the dust filling the air each day could permanently scar their lungs. Many are still young, supporting growing families, and now face a lifetime of medical treatment, lost income, and uncertainty.
A significant number of those affected are members of California's Latino and Armenian communities, where generations of skilled craftsmen have built successful careers in the stone fabrication industry.
At Madeksho Law, we believe workers deserve to know how this happened, whether it could have been prevented, and what legal options may be available.
California has become one of the nation's epicenters for silicosis among engineered stone workers.
Unlike natural stone, engineered quartz countertops frequently contain more than 90% crystalline silica. Cutting, grinding, drilling, polishing, and shaping these materials releases microscopic silica dust into the air.
Those particles are invisible.
They are small enough to travel deep into the lungs, where they become trapped and trigger permanent inflammation and scarring.
Over time, healthy lung tissue is replaced with scar tissue, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.
Doctors throughout California have diagnosed countertop fabricators, installers, polishers, CNC machine operators, and shop workers with advanced silicosis—sometimes after only a few years of exposure.
Some patients now require oxygen therapy.
Others are waiting for lung transplants.
Some families have tragically lost loved ones to this preventable occupational disease.
Silicosis is a progressive lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica.
Unlike illnesses caused by viruses or bacteria, silicosis develops after repeated exposure to airborne silica dust in the workplace.
As silica particles accumulate inside the lungs, the body's immune system cannot remove them. Instead, inflammation leads to permanent fibrosis, reducing the lungs' ability to absorb oxygen.
Common symptoms include:
Advanced cases may lead to:
Although treatment can help manage symptoms, there is currently no cure for silicosis.
Engineered stone has transformed the countertop industry.
Its durability and appearance have made it one of the most popular countertop materials in California homes and businesses.
Unfortunately, it also presents one of the highest occupational silica exposure risks.
When engineered stone is:
dangerous levels of respirable crystalline silica can become airborne.
Without proper ventilation, wet-cutting methods, dust collection systems, and respiratory protection, workers may inhale hazardous concentrations throughout the workday.
Exposure is not limited to the person operating the saw.
Nearby employees, polishers, installers, laborers, and cleanup crews may also inhale dangerous levels of silica dust.
Workers diagnosed with silicosis often include:
Many spent years working in fabrication shops where dust-control systems were inadequate or nonexistent.
Others report receiving little or no training about the dangers of respirable silica.
California's engineered stone industry relies heavily on skilled Latino and Armenian craftsmen.
Many came to California seeking opportunity and built successful careers through hard work and dedication.
Instead, some unknowingly developed an irreversible occupational disease.
Workers frequently describe fabrication shops where dust coated machinery, clothing, vehicles, and work surfaces throughout the day.
Many believed coughing and shortness of breath were simply part of the job.
By the time they sought medical care, the damage had already become permanent.
At Madeksho Law, we understand that a silicosis diagnosis affects an entire family—not just the person who was exposed.
Lost wages, mounting medical bills, uncertainty about the future, and the emotional toll of chronic illness can place enormous strain on loved ones.
Silicosis is widely recognized as a preventable occupational disease.
OSHA and Cal/OSHA have established workplace standards intended to reduce workers' exposure to respirable crystalline silica.
Depending on the work being performed, employers may be expected to implement measures such as:
When those safety measures are ignored or inadequate, workers may unknowingly be exposed to dangerous levels of silica for years.
Every silicosis case is unique.
Legal claims may involve employers, manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, or other parties depending on the facts surrounding a worker's exposure.
Important considerations include:
An experienced attorney can investigate the circumstances surrounding a worker's exposure and help determine whether legal action may be appropriate.
Silicosis can permanently change every aspect of a person's life.
Some workers become unable to continue working.
Others require supplemental oxygen, extensive pulmonary care, or evaluation for a lung transplant.
In the most heartbreaking cases, families lose loved ones to complications related to silica exposure.
When a preventable workplace exposure results in catastrophic injury or wrongful death, surviving family members deserve answers—and accountability.
Since 1972, Madeksho Law has represented individuals and families harmed by occupational and environmental exposures.
Over the past five decades, our firm has recovered more than $400 million on behalf of clients while earning a national reputation for handling complex toxic exposure litigation.
Occupational disease cases require a deep understanding of industrial history, medical science, pulmonary disease, and product exposure—not simply personal injury law.
Our attorneys work with respected medical and scientific experts to investigate exposure histories, identify responsible parties, and pursue justice for workers and families whose lives have been changed by preventable occupational disease.
Yes. Cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing engineered stone can release respirable crystalline silica dust that may lead to silicosis if proper safety measures are not in place.
No. While treatment can help manage symptoms and slow progression, lung damage caused by silicosis is permanent.
Depending on the circumstances, compensation may include medical expenses, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, future medical care, and other damages permitted under California law.
A silicosis diagnosis raises difficult questions about your health, your future, and your family's financial security. You should not face those questions alone.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with silicosis after working with engineered stone, quartz countertops, or other silica-containing materials in California, Madeksho Law is here to help.
Since 1972, our firm has recovered more than $400 million for clients harmed by the negligence of others. We understand the challenges that occupational disease cases present, and we are committed to helping workers and families seek the answers, accountability, and compensation they deserve.
Contact Madeksho Law today for a free, confidential consultation. We'll listen to your story, review your work history, answer your questions, and help you understand your legal options. Call 888-910-6376 or use our online form.
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