Silica / Engineered Stone Countertop Exposure in San Antonio, TX
Workers in San Antonio and Bexar County who cut, grind, polish, or install engineered stone countertops are developing silicosis — an irreversible, sometimes fatal lung disease — at alarming rates. In some cases, workers in their 20s and early 30s are presenting with advanced silicosis after just a few years of exposure. There is no cure for silicosis. And the companies that manufactured, distributed, and sold these products knew — or should have known — about the extreme silica content of their materials and the danger to workers.
San Antonio’s growing residential construction market has created a significant demand for countertop fabrication, with shops throughout Bexar County and surrounding communities employing workers who cut, grind, and polish engineered stone products containing up to 90–95% crystalline silica. Workers who developed accelerated silicosis in San Antonio-area shops have the same claims available to them as workers in California and Australia — where engineered stone was banned outright in July 2024 due to the silicosis epidemic.
Edward O. Moody, P.A. has spent over 40 years applying product liability law to hold corporations accountable for harm caused to working men and women — in asbestos litigation, pharmaceutical cases, and toxic exposure claims. The parallels between the silicosis epidemic among countertop workers and the asbestos epidemic are striking. The same corporate playbook — industry knowledge, inadequate warnings, profits over people — is at the center of both. We are applying the same legal framework to fight for silicosis victims in San Antonio.
What Is Engineered Stone and Why Is It Dangerous?
Engineered stone — marketed under brand names including Caesarstone, Silestone (Cosentino), Cambria, LG Viatera, Corian Quartz, Hanstone, and MSI Quartz — is a manufactured product made of pulverized crystalline silica bound with resin. Unlike natural stone, engineered stone contains up to 90–95% silica by content — compared to approximately 45% for granite, 30% for slate, and less than 3% for marble.
When workers cut, grind, drill, or polish this material without proper engineering controls, they inhale respirable crystalline silica dust at concentrations far exceeding safe occupational limits. Crystalline silica particles lodge permanently in lung tissue, causing irreversible scarring (fibrosis) that progressively worsens over time. This is silicosis.
What makes this epidemic particularly devastating is the accelerated timeline. Traditional occupational silicosis typically developed over 10 to 40 years of exposure. Engineered stone, because of its extreme silica content and the fine dust generated during fabrication, is producing severe silicosis in workers after 2 to 10 years of exposure — at ages that would have been unthinkable in traditional occupational disease.
California and Australia both banned the manufacture, supply, and installation of engineered stone in July 2024 — citing exactly this epidemic.
Who May Qualify for a Silica Exposure Claim
Countertop fabricators and stone cutters who cut, grind, or polish engineered stone products as their primary occupation
Countertop installers who work around fabricated stone in dusty environments
Stone shop workers who performed any phase of engineered stone processing
Workers diagnosed with silicosis (ICD-10: J62.8), progressive massive fibrosis (PMF), interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, or kidney failure linked to silica exposure
Family members of workers who died from silicosis-related illness may file wrongful death claims
Workers with breathing problems but no formal diagnosis should consult a pulmonologist and an attorney — a diagnosis can be confirmed
Who Are the Defendants?
Silicosis product liability cases target the entire supply chain that profited from dangerous engineered stone products:
Stone manufacturers: Caesarstone Ltd., Cosentino Group (Silestone), Cambria Company, LG Hausys (LG Viatera), Corian Quartz, MSI Surfaces, Hanstone, and others
Retailers and distributors: Home Depot, Lowe’s, and IKEA have been named in litigation for their role in the distribution chain
Fabrication shop owners: Employers who failed to provide adequate engineering controls, water suppression, or protective equipment
Two landmark California jury verdicts in 2024 and 2025 found manufacturers and others in the supply chain liable for silicosis injuries — confirming the legal viability of these claims nationally.
This litigation is currently in a pre-MDL stage, meaning cases are filed individually. Early filers often benefit from greater attorney attention and, in some cases, better positioning in settlement negotiations.
Texas Filing Deadlines for Silicosis Claims
Texas’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of discovery of the injury under CPRC § 16.003. For occupational disease claims like silicosis, the clock typically starts when the worker was diagnosed — or when they knew or should have known the disease was caused by their work.
Given the accelerated silicosis timeline in countertop workers, many Texas workers are being diagnosed at young ages and have their entire futures ahead of them when they file. The damages available in product liability cases for silicosis can include: past and future medical expenses; lost wages and loss of earning capacity; pain and suffering; and, in severe cases, costs of lung transplantation.
FAQ
If you or a loved one worked in countertop fabrication or stone cutting in San Antonio, Texas and has been diagnosed with silicosis, lung disease, or kidney failure, contact Edward O. Moody, P.A. for a free confidential consultation. Call 501-376-0000. No fee unless we win.