Talk to a silicosis attorney

If a doctor has linked your silicosis to dust at work, a good next step is a phone call to a silicosis attorney. An attorney who handles these cases will go over the jobs you've done and what your diagnosis says, then let you know if you have a case and who it should name. Your filing deadline depends on state law, and in most states you have two years from your diagnosis to file. Call for a free claim review in English or Spanish to learn where your case stands.

What a silicosis or silica exposure lawyer can do

Silicosis damages the lungs and can't be cured. It comes from breathing silica dust. Signs like a nagging cough, chest pain, feeling worn out, and trouble catching your breath may not appear until a few years to decades after the exposure. So even a job you left behind years ago could be to blame.

Your lawyer's job is to tie that old job to your diagnosis and to the businesses that made or supplied the stone you worked with. Through a lawsuit, you can seek payment for medical costs, wages you lost, and the pain you've been through.

Who can you sue over silica exposure?

The companies that usually get sued are stone manufacturers and suppliers. That's because the law generally blocks you from suing your own employer. Most lawsuits say the company kept quiet about the risks, put out a flawed product, or covered up what it knew.

Engineered stone, the man-made slab in many kitchen counters, can be more than 90% silica, while granite is under 45%. Cutting or grinding it throws off dust 100 times smaller than a grain of sand.

Silica is also in the air at foundries, brick plants, and jobs involving concrete, masonry, and construction. Official records since August 2019 show 44 employers across 15 states cited over silica dust, and 25 of those were stone or countertop shops. You may never have touched a saw to stone and still have worked at a place on that list.

Filing deadlines by state

Every lawsuit faces a time limit the law calls the statute of limitations. That deadline varies from state to state, and once it passes, you cannot file.

Some deadlines are far tighter. In California, you can lose your workers' compensation benefits if you wait more than 30 days to tell your employer about the illness.

When silicosis ends a life, a spouse, a child, or another relative who qualifies can usually file a wrongful death lawsuit. That's the claim families bring when someone else caused the death. Its deadline is separate, so families shouldn't wait.

Can you have a comp claim and a lawsuit?

Workers' compensation is insurance your employer carries for injuries and sicknesses tied to the job. Money from the employer itself usually has to come through it.

Suing the stone manufacturers and suppliers is a different track, and it may recover broader compensation than workers' comp. Many workers can do both together, which is one reason the attorney will want to know if a comp claim is already on file.

California's workers' comp covers lost wages during time off work, permanent disability when a doctor says the limits are for life, and death benefits for your family. It will also pay for up to $10,000 in medical care while your employer's decision on the claim is still up in the air.

Evidence the attorney will want

What matters most is your medical records, your work background, and what you or coworkers can say about the dust conditions and the safety gear provided. Call before your state's filing deadline passes to get a free review of your diagnosis and work history, in English or Spanish.

Medical and job records matter, and what you or your coworkers remember about the dust and safety gear is also important evidence. Coworkers who breathed the same air and recall which masks were around, or that there weren't any, are evidence as well.

Recent verdicts against stone companies

Juries have begun making stone companies answer for this, and a few manufacturers have settled without the amounts becoming public.

That L.A. verdict was the first in the U.S. tied to engineered stone. In Denver, jurors decided that Cambria misrepresented the harm of its product. No two cases are alike, so call for a free review to learn where yours stands.

Is there a fee for the claim review?

No. A law firm advertising on Silicosis Claims does the review, and you only become its client once it has looked over your case and agreed to take it. Call for a free claim review in English or Spanish with a law firm advertising through Silicosis Claims.