A man uses a concrete cutting machine, demonstrating skill as he slices through a thick concrete surface.

Silica / Engineered Stone Countertop Exposure in Austin, TX

Workers in Austin and Travis 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.

Austin’s construction explosion over the past decade — driven by the tech sector’s growth, population influx, and residential development — has created extraordinary demand for countertop fabrication throughout Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties. Workers in Central Texas countertop shops are part of a national epidemic of accelerated silicosis in engineered stone fabricators that has prompted outright bans in California and Australia and is now the subject of significant product liability litigation against major stone manufacturers.

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 Austin.

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

Yes — installers are not excluded from these claims. While cutting generates the highest silica dust concentrations, installation work near cut stone and in dusty environments can also produce harmful exposure. The critical steps are: (1) get a formal pulmonologist evaluation; (2) document your work history with specific products and timeframes; and (3) contact an attorney before your Texas filing window closes. Please reach out to us for a free evaluation.

Yes — Cambria is among the manufacturers named as defendants in engineered stone silicosis lawsuits. Product liability claims allege that manufacturers including Cambria, Caesarstone, Cosentino (Silestone), and others failed to adequately warn workers about the extreme silica content of their products and failed to require adequate protective measures. Please contact us immediately for a free evaluation of your case.

California’s ban is significant legal context. It documents that government authorities concluded engineered stone poses such serious health risks that it should be prohibited — and it was banned in Australia at the same time. This regulatory action strengthens the argument that manufacturers knew or should have known about the dangers and failed to provide adequate warnings. It does not directly create new legal rights in Texas, but it is relevant evidence in product liability cases.

If you or a loved one worked in countertop fabrication or stone cutting in Austin, 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.