Syracuse, New York: Kitchen Countertop Lung Disease

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Who Is Committed to Providing Unparalleled Personal Injury Service. If You, or a Loved One, Have Developed Silicosis After Working With or Around Stone Countertop and Stone Countertop Slabs, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Explore Your Best Options for Effective Legal Relief.

Heavy industry and health regulators have long known that working with silica-containing stone countertops can be hazardous. However, until very recently, hardworking New Yorkers who found themselves suddenly staring down an unexpected silicosis diagnosis have had few ways to fight back. This is now changing, with more officials recognizing that silicosis in the home construction industry poses a greater risk than previously believed.

In neighboring Massachusetts, for instance, public health officials recently confirmed the state’s first-ever case of silicosis linked to stone countertop work. Investigators believe that the man, a 40-year-old who spent more than a decade installing kitchen countertops, likely developed silicosis after working with artificial countertops made from silica-containing quartz and other materials.

“The confirmation of this case in Massachusetts is a tragic reminder that silicosis is not just a distant threat,” a state official said. “It is here, and it is seriously impacting the health of workers in Massachusetts.”

The risk posed by silica and silicosis is not limited to Massachusetts.

Workers across the country, in New York, and elsewhere, face the same risks, many of which were previously unrecognized or, at the very least, downplayed by manufacturers.

If you, or a loved one, has been diagnosed with silicosis after working with stone kitchen countertops, you could be entitled to significant compensation. Since our founding in 20005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped our clients in Syracuse and throughout Upstate New York secure more than $250 million in damages. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a silica exposure lawyer near Syracuse and find out how we could help you assert your right to a fair recovery.

Silica is a naturally occurring mineral found in abundance in the natural world.

Outside the natural world, silica is widely used in manufacturing. Silica, for instance, is naturally absorbent and can be used to prevent spoilage in packaged food. It can also be combined with other minerals and manufactured compounds to prevent corrosion and produce stronger, more resilient products. However, while silica is not inherently unsafe, health regulators have long since recognized that certain types of silica can be dangerous.

In an assessment of high-risk occupations, OSHA found that workers in the following fields are the most likely to be exposed to silica:

1. Commercial fishing;
2. Product manufacturing; and
3. Anyone who makes, fabricates, or installs stone countertops.

People who work with stone countertops face some of the most significant silica-related risks.

Natural and artificial stone countertops alike are usually made from a combination of crystalline silica, resin, and pigment. In some cases, these stone countertops contain over 90% silica, with the highest levels found in manufactured countertops. Silica content is typically lower in natural stone, but it may still be present at hazardous levels.

During processing or installation, some silica fibers can disperse into the air and onto nearby surfaces; these delicate fibers are too small to be seen with the naked eye. They are also small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs. Once there, they are all but impossible to remove. Over time, they can trigger increasingly severe symptoms, including:

1. A cough that will not go away;
2. Inflammation of the lungs and surrounding tissue;
3. Scarring of the lungs and surrounding tissue;
4. Fatigue and general feelings of malaise; and
5. Unexpected or unwanted weight loss.

If silicosis is untreated or has reached an advanced stage, it can cause further complications up to and including lung cancer.

Silicosis is a serious disease, but its initial symptoms are often subtle and difficult to detect without specialized testing. However, by the time its symptoms become severe enough to ignore or attribute to another condition, it is almost always too late for doctors to reverse the damage. Making a full recovery is not always an option, but even baseline treatment can prove expensive to the point of being unaffordable.

If you were exposed to silica dust at work, you may not have to bear the full financial burden of recovery. Depending on the circumstances of your initial exposure and diagnosis, you could be entitled to significant compensation for your injuries. This does not mean that negotiating a settlement or securing a court-ordered award will be either simple or straightforward. In fact, it is often anything but. Large companies typically throw everything they have at high-stakes personal injury claims, and thorough preparation is almost always the only way to prevail.

You may need an experienced personal injury lawyer to help win your claim, but that does not mean that you have to wait to start taking action. You could protect your rights by:

You can only sue a former employer or product manufacturer for silica exposure if you can prove that you have been diagnosed with silicosis or another silica-related disease. If you have medical paperwork, diagnostic results, or the results of an MRI or other test, they could prove vital in court and during negotiations.

Your lawyer will help you investigate the causes of your silica exposure, but keeping tabs on potential evidence could help your lawsuit start stronger and faster. This evidence does not have to be rock-solid; it can be circumstantial and as simple as making a list of your former employers, clients, and worksites.

Most people with silicosis are diagnosed at least a decade after an initial silica exposure. Trying to track down missing evidence can prove challenging in its own right, let alone trying to convince a judge and jury that a specific product was the direct cause of your illness.

A personal injury lawyer could help you fill in the gaps and answer unresolved questions.

Depending on the circumstances of your case, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you conduct a thorough investigation by:

1. Reviewing your medical records;
2. Analyzing any evidence you have provided;
3. Determining the exact location of verifiable silica exposures;
4. Consulting medical experts and industry professionals to establish that your diagnosis was most likely caused by exposure to a silica-containing countertop or other product; and
5. Assessing your damages to ensure that your settlement includes everything that it should.

Speaking to an attorney does not have to be an expensive or cost-prohibitive undertaking.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades filing, fighting, and winning personal injury lawsuits. We understand that, when somebody is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, they cannot always afford to set aside money for a legal fund. Instead of asking our clients to pay upfront, we work on a contingent-fee basis, meaning we only receive payment as a percentage of your final settlement or court-ordered award. If we cannot win your case, we do not get paid. Please call us today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a kitchen countertop lung disease lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!