You Cut Stone for a Living. Now You Can't Breathe. It's Not Your Fault — It's Theirs.

What Is the Countertop Silicosis Lawsuit?

Workers who cut, grind, and polish engineered stone countertops are developing silicosis — an irreversible, often fatal lung disease — at alarming rates. Unlike the silicosis historically associated with mining, these are young workers in their 20s and 30s being diagnosed with a disease that permanently scars their lungs, often progressing rapidly to a condition that requires a lung transplant to survive.

Engineered stone countertop products — sold under brands including Caesarstone, Silestone, Cambria, LG Hausys, Corian Quartz and others — contain 90-95% crystalline silica. When a fabricator cuts a countertop, the saw or grinder pulverizes that silica into microscopic particles that become airborne. Those particles — too small to see, too small to feel — penetrate deep into the lungs and cause permanent, progressive scarring.

Lawsuits allege that stone manufacturers, distributors, and major retailers knew this product was far more dangerous than natural stone, knew about silicosis risks from their own research, and chose not to provide adequate warnings to the workers whose hands shaped their products every day.

Why This Is "The New Asbestos"

The countertop silicosis crisis is being compared to the asbestos epidemic for a reason. The parallels are striking:

• Known hazard ignored. Manufacturers had access to research on silicosis risks but continued selling without adequate warnings to workers.
• Workers exposed daily without protection. Small fabrication shops often provided no respiratory protection, no water suppression systems, and no silica monitoring.
• Irreversible disease. Once silicosis develops, it cannot be reversed. It only gets worse.
• Young workers devastated. Asbestos diseases typically hit workers in their 50s-60s, often decades after exposure. Engineered stone silicosis is hitting workers in their 20s and 30s — men with decades of productive life ahead of them.
• Failure to warn. Product liability law is clear: manufacturers must warn workers of known hazards. Engineered stone products were sold with minimal or no warnings about silicosis risk.

A landmark 2019 study published in the CDC's MMWR documented a cluster of silicosis cases among engineered stone countertop workers in California — 18 cases among relatively young workers, including several deaths and lung transplants. That study put the industry on notice. Litigation followed.

Who Do You Sue?

The countertop silicosis lawsuits target the entire supply chain that profited from this dangerous product:

• Stone manufacturers — Caesarstone Ltd., Cosentino (Silestone), Cambria Company, LG Hausys, Dupont (Corian Quartz), Hanstone, MSI Stone, and others. These companies manufactured and sold products containing 90-95% silica without adequate worker safety warnings.
• Distributors and wholesalers — Companies that distributed engineered stone products to fabrication shops.
• Big box retailers — Home Depot, Lowe's, IKEA and others who sold engineered stone countertops and directed customers to local fabricators.
• Fabrication shop owners — Shop owners who failed to provide required OSHA-compliant respiratory protection, water suppression, or silica monitoring equipment.

What Is the Litigation Status?

This litigation is PRE-MDL — meaning no Multi-District Litigation consolidation has been formally established yet, though an MDL petition is widely expected. This creates a significant first-mover advantage for plaintiffs who file early:

• Early filers often receive more favorable positions in any eventual settlement structure
• Evidence preservation is more effective when claims are filed promptly
• Statute of limitations deadlines are real — don't wait
• Cases are being filed in multiple jurisdictions across the country

Frequently Asked Questions