Table of contents
- Latest Silicosis Lawsuit Updates
- October 15, 2026: Liberty Mutual Files Coverage Suits over Silicosis Claims
- August 21, 2026: Miners’ Union Demands MSHA Silica Rule Enforcement
- May 21, 2026: California Board Moves Toward Engineered Stone Ban
- May 1, 2026: Colorado Jury Finds Cambria Partly at Fault
- April 6, 2026: MSHA Delays Silica Rule Amendments Indefinitely
- March 31, 2026: OSHA Fines Proposed for Atlanta Stone Makers
- March 16, 2026: Industry Seeks Legal Immunity from Congress
- August 7, 2024: Los Angeles Jury Finds Stone Companies at Fault
- What Is Silicosis?
- Who May Be Affected?
- Reported Injuries or Damages
- Recall and Regulatory Background
- Evidence to Preserve
- Filing Deadlines
- Potential Compensation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Can Silicosis Be Cured?
- Have Juries Ruled in Favor of Stone Companies?
- What Is the Typical Settlement Amount for a Silicosis Lawsuit?
- What Is the Latest on the MSHA Silica Rule?
- How Old Are Countertop Workers When Doctors Diagnose Silicosis?
- What Is Silicosarcoidosis?
Silicosis lawsuits accuse engineered stone makers of failing to warn workers about silica dust from cutting quartz countertops. Plaintiffs allege the dust gave them silicosis, a serious lung disease. Over 600 workers have sued Cambria and other stone makers.
Individual suits have been filed nationwide since 2022. Juries in Los Angeles and Denver have returned verdicts for injured workers. Insurers are now disputing coverage in federal court. The companies deny they are at fault.
Workers cut, grind and polish slabs that contain about 90% silica, which releases fine dust that workers can breathe in. No MDL exists for these suits. Plaintiffs also allege defective design.
Latest Silicosis Lawsuit Updates
October 15, 2026: Liberty Mutual Files Coverage Suits over Silicosis Claims
Liberty Mutual filed coverage suits against Wilsonart LLC and Architectural Surfaces Group LLC, reported on October 15, 2026. The suits are in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas [1].
Together the two cases cite 230 silicosis cases. Liberty seeks a declaration that its silica exclusions mean it owes the companies nothing. Neither company responded to requests for comment.
August 21, 2026: Miners’ Union Demands MSHA Silica Rule Enforcement
The United Mine Workers of America demanded that the Mine Safety and Health Administration resume enforcement of its 2024 silica rule [2].
The union is pressing the agency to act immediately. MSHA says enforcement has been delayed because of a lawsuit in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
May 21, 2026: California Board Moves Toward Engineered Stone Ban
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board unanimously granted a petition on May 21, 2026. The petition could lead to a ban on fabricating and installing artificial stone products containing more than 1% crystalline silica [3].
Safety+Health Magazine reported the vote on June 2, 2026. The grant is only a petition decision, so it is not a ban itself.
May 1, 2026: Colorado Jury Finds Cambria Partly at Fault
Cambria was found roughly 30% at fault by a Colorado state jury in a worker’s silicosis suit. Bloomberg Law reported on May 1, 2026 that this leaves Cambria on the hook for about $5 million [4].
The Star Tribune later described the Denver award to the worker as about $17 million. Cambria is appealing that verdict and the Los Angeles verdict [5].
April 6, 2026: MSHA Delays Silica Rule Amendments Indefinitely
MSHA published a final rule on April 6, 2026. It delays the conforming amendments to the 2024 silica rule indefinitely while a judicial stay from the 8th Circuit remains in effect [6].
The court stayed the rule’s compliance deadlines on April 11, 2025. The original deadlines were April 14, 2025 for coal mines and April 8, 2026 for remaining metal and nonmetal mines.
March 31, 2026: OSHA Fines Proposed for Atlanta Stone Makers
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported on March 31, 2026 that two metro Atlanta stone product manufacturers may face OSHA fines [7]. Each could owe tens of thousands of dollars.
The fines concern alleged repeat violations involving silica and noise exposure. They are proposed fines, so they are not final yet.
March 16, 2026: Industry Seeks Legal Immunity from Congress
The New York Times reported on March 16, 2026 that the engineered-stone industry, facing mounting litigation, is seeking legal immunity from Congress [8].
Cambria’s chief legal officer, Rebecca Shult, told the paper that the problem is the process rather than the product. Cambria denies it is at fault.
August 7, 2024: Los Angeles Jury Finds Stone Companies at Fault
A Los Angeles County jury found Caesarstone USA, Cambria and Color Marble at fault for the silicosis of Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez, 34, a countertop cutter [9].
His attorneys said it was the first case to go to trial. The jury found the companies failed to provide sufficient warning about the dangers of cutting the slabs.
What Is Silicosis?
According to the CDC, breathing crystalline silica dust can lead to lung disease. Silica inflames and scars the lungs. Heavy exposure can cause permanent lung damage called silicosis, a progressive, debilitating and sometimes fatal disease [10].
Engineered stone, also called artificial stone or quartz, is the material behind the lawsuits on this page. Its makers and sellers are the companies named in these suits.
Who May Be Affected?
Workers who cut, polish or grind stone slabs can breathe in crystalline silica. The CDC MMWR reported 18 silicosis cases among stone fabrication workers in California, Colorado, Texas and Washington [11].
Most of them worked with engineered stone, which can contain more than 90% crystalline silica. The CDC report was published in 2019.
An estimated 100,000 US workers in stone fabrication have been potentially exposed to high levels of silica dust. University of California and California Department of Public Health researchers made that estimate, Bloomberg Law reported [12].
Silicosis can appear after weeks or months of very high exposure (acute). It can also appear about 5 to 10 years after high exposure (accelerated). Chronic silicosis appears after 10 or more years of lower exposure.
Whether you may be affected depends on your work history and diagnosis, and only an individual legal review can say.
Reported Injuries or Damages
Plaintiffs allege silicosis, a lung disease with no cure that can require a lung transplant. The CDC says it brings scarring that is progressive, irreversible and potentially disabling. Gonzalez had a double-lung transplant.
In the CDC report, several patients also had autoimmune disease and latent tuberculosis infection. The CDC says silica exposure is also associated with a higher risk of lung infection and lung cancer. It also lists emphysema and kidney disease.
The National Cancer Institute says exposure of workers to respirable crystalline silica is associated with elevated rates of lung cancer [13].
In 2025, the American Journal of Industrial Medicine published a series of 35 silicosarcoidosis cases. Patients had 21 ± 9 years of silica exposure. The authors say the term should help doctors recognize this lung disease [14].
The Star Tribune reports that CDPH has counted 635 silicosis cases among engineered stone countertop workers. From 2019 through Aug. 13, 2026, 35 engineered stone workers have died. Over 140 have had, or are eligible for, lung transplants.
Recall and Regulatory Background
No recall applies to engineered stone. OSHA set a silica exposure standard in 2016. MSHA’s 2024 silica rule lowers the limit to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an 8-hour average.
In late 2023 California banned dry cutting for engineered stone fabricators. Cal/OSHA inspected about 10% of stone fabrication workplaces and cited about 94% of those.
A federal bill would shield manufacturers from product liability suits. It passed out of committee in June 2026. Regulatory action does not by itself establish liability.
Evidence to Preserve
Keep these records, because a lawyer reviewing a silicosis claim may ask for them:
- Medical records and imaging, such as chest X-ray, CT scan or lung biopsy results, along with your exposure history
- Employer and job history, including the dates you worked and the tasks you did
- The stone brands and product names you handled at work
- Photographs of the workplace, the dust controls and the respirators you were given
- Names and contact details of co-workers who saw your working conditions
- Pay records that show where and when you worked
Filing Deadlines
Deadlines to file a silicosis claim are set by state law, so the time limit depends on where you live.
The time limit can also change with the date of exposure, illness or injury, and diagnosis. Some states start the clock at diagnosis.
Once a deadline passes, a silicosis claim can end even if the facts are strong. Speak with a lawyer about your own situation promptly.
Potential Compensation
Injury cases can involve medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship, depending on the facts of each case.
A Los Angeles County jury awarded Gonzalez more than $52 million on August 7, 2024. It assigned 15% of the responsibility to Caesarstone USA, 10% to Cambria and 2.5% to Color Marble. The court decides how much each pays.
Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Potential compensation is never promised for any worker or family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Silicosis Be Cured?
Silicosis cannot be cured, but periodic medical monitoring helps detect this occupational lung disease at early stages. That lets workers avoid further exposure and limit disease progression, according to the CDC.
Have Juries Ruled in Favor of Stone Companies?
Yes, juries have ruled in favor of stone companies in silicosis cases. In 2025, another California jury ruled in favor of Cambria and other suppliers, the Star Tribune reported. That case is separate from the Los Angeles and Denver verdicts above.
What Is the Typical Settlement Amount for a Silicosis Lawsuit?
A typical settlement amount for a silicosis lawsuit cannot be stated, because results vary from case to case. The named verdicts on this page are jury awards and not settlements, so do not read them as an average.
What Is the Latest on the MSHA Silica Rule?
The latest on the MSHA silica rule is that a revised proposal completed White House interagency review on Aug. 10, 2026, according to a Safety+Health Magazine report on the union’s enforcement demand.
How Old Are Countertop Workers When Doctors Diagnose Silicosis?
Countertop workers in California are diagnosed with silicosis at a median age of 46, compared with 65 for workers in all other industries. Dr. Amy Heinzerling of the California Department of Public Health gave the Star Tribune those figures.
What Is Silicosarcoidosis?
Silicosarcoidosis is an exposure-related granulomatous lung disease, according to the American Journal of Industrial Medicine case series. In it, 97% of the patients were male, their mean age was 48 and all had long exposure to respirable crystalline silica.