NOVATO, Calif., March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brayton Purcell LLP announces the publication of a new national InvestigateTV investigation that brings significant attention to the life‑threatening dangers associated with crystalline silica artificial stone—a product also known as manufactured stone, artificial stone, or engineered stone. The story, released March 2, 2026, by journalists Anna Werner, Daniela Molina, Jamie Grey, and Scotty Smith, profiles the medical crisis faced by California countertop fabrication worker Rodolfo Figueroa, whose decades of cutting artificial stone resulted in catastrophic lung damage.
Mr. Figueroa, age 70, recently returned home following a life‑saving lung transplant. As the InvestigateTV report documents, his illness progressed rapidly after years of exposure to the nano‑sized silica particles, toxic resins and glues, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contained in artificial stone, which is composed of at least 90 percent silica. Health professionals have long warned that inhalation of these particles can cause severe and irreversible disease, including silicosis.
California remains the only state actively tracking silicosis cases linked specifically to artificial stone fabrication. Current state data identifies more than 500 workers diagnosed, 54 workers requiring lung transplants, and 29 deaths. Many of the affected individuals, including Mr. Figueroa, dedicated years to fabricating countertops made from crystalline silica artificial stone.
Legal Context and HR 5437
The InvestigateTV report also examines the ongoing national debate surrounding H.R. 5437, a proposed federal bailout bill that would remove legal responsibility from manufacturers and distributors of artificial stone slabs in cases involving worker illness or death.
Brayton Purcell LLP attorney James Nevin, who represents Mr. Figueroa and many other affected individuals, addressed this issue in the broadcast. Nevin explained that manufacturers of crystalline silica artificial stone have long known how their products are used:
“The whole chain has been created by the slab manufacturers,” Nevin said. “It’s not like, oh, we didn’t know that this was going to happen. We didn’t know that our product was going to be fabricated. It’s designed to be fabricated.”
If enacted, H.R. 5437 would dramatically shift legal accountability away from the entities responsible for placing artificial stone slabs—containing extremely high concentrations of respirable silica—into the marketplace.
Scientific Perspective: ‘A Far More Pernicious Product’
InvestigateTV also interviewed Dr. David Michaels, epidemiologist, former Assistant Secretary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Dr. Michaels distinguished artificial stone from other materials commonly used in countertop fabrication:
“If the stone product is not very fine, it’s less dangerous than the very fine flour essentially that goes into artificial stone,” Dr. Michaels stated.
Dr. Michaels further explained: “Workers need protection from all materials. But this particular product that we’re talking about here is clearly far more pernicious. And that’s why we really should move to a safer product.”
Dr. Michaels’ commentary underscores the concerns raised by occupational health specialists nationwide who have observed the escalating medical consequences tied to the fabrication of crystalline silica artificial stone.
Ongoing Concerns About Worker Exposure
While some industry representatives claim that safety procedures can be consistently maintained, researchers and public health authorities interviewed by InvestigateTV described a very different reality.
A study highlighted in the broadcast found that even with wet-cutting methods, nearly 50 percent of fabrication shops working with crystalline silica artificial stone still exceeded OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica. Over 100 peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that there is no safe way for human beings to fabricate crystalline silica artificial stone, even when exposure levels are kept at or below OSHA’s PEL.
Occupational health experts estimate that 20,000 to 30,000 workers nationwide could ultimately develop silicosis related to artificial stone fabrication.
An Urgent Public Health Issue
Mr. Figueroa, speaking from his home following his recent transplant, expressed gratitude for the time he has been given, while acknowledging the seriousness of his condition. His story illustrates the devastating personal toll of exposure to crystalline silica artificial stone particles.
Brayton Purcell LLP has represented individuals harmed by toxic exposures for decades, including those involving artificial stone. The firm remains committed to helping affected workers understand their legal rights and pursue accountability from the manufacturers and distributors of crystalline silica artificial stone products.
The full InvestigateTV story is now available to the public.
https://www.braytonlaw.com/engineered-stone-silicosis-news/
Media Contact:
Nolan Lowry
415-399-3107
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SOURCE Brayton Purcell LLP
