Silicosis Lawsuit Results in $7.6M Verdict for Former Sandblaster

|
AboutLawsuits

Add Your Comments

A former sandblaster has been awarded $7.6 million against Mississippi Valley Silica Co. Inc. after filing a silicosis lawsuit, which claims he developed the incurable lung disease from exposure to silica particles at his former job.

The silicosis lawsuit was filed by Robert Eastman, who developed a severe case of the disease after working as a sandblaster between 1963 and 1978. The sand used in sandblasting at the facility was provided by Mississippi Valley Silica, and Eastman alleged that the company knew that their product could cause potentially fatal silicosis, and failed to take steps to protect workers or provide adequate warnings.

Following a trial in Warren County, Miss., a jury awarded Eastman $7.6 million in compensation. According to a report in the Clarion Ledger, the Silicosis lawsuit was the first such case to go to trial in Mississippi.

Silicosis Lawsuit

Were you exposed to silica dust?

Silicosis lawsuits are being filed by stone fabricators, construction workers and others who developed silicosis after being exposed to silica dust released from engineered countertop products.rnrn

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION
Silicosis-Lung-Disease-Lawyers
Silicosis-Lung-Disease-Lawyers

Silicosis Lawsuit

Were you exposed to silica dust?

Silicosis lawsuits are being filed by stone fabricators, construction workers and others who developed silicosis after being exposed to silica dust released from engineered countertop products.rnrn

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION

Silicosis, also known as Potter’s Rot, is caused by overexposure to crystalline silica particles which the lungs cannot expel by coughing or mucus once inhaled. Scar tissue develops around the particles in the lungs and reduces the ability of the lungs to pull oxygen from the air. Silica exposure has also been associated with bronchitis, tuberculosis and lung cancer.

Silicosis is most common among industrial workers, particularly sandblasters, rock drillers, stone cutters, masons, miners and glass manufacturers, making it one of the oldest known industrial-related diseases in the world.

The disease is more common in developing countries than in the United States; however, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about one million workers in the U.S. are exposed to silica dust. Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Labor and WHO place the number of U.S. silicosis-related deaths at between 150 and 300 annually.

2024 Silicosis Lawsuit Update

Following a growing body of medical research linking the silica dust released from cutting, grinding and polishing engineered stone countertops, lawyers across the nation are investigating lawsuits for stone fabricators, sandblasters and others who have been diagnosed silicosis.

To find out whether you qualify for a silicosis lawsuit from exposure to silica dust, submit information for review by a lawyer to determine if you may be eligible for a lawsuit payout.

Tags: Sandblaster, Silica Exposure, Silicosis
Image Credit: |

More Silicosis Lawsuit Stories

7 Comments

Jason
I worked in a foundry for 25 years and developed fibrosis from silica. When I first started at the company there wasn’t any ppe other than a respirator every now and then. I’ve recently went on disability at 45 after my lung biopsy
Timothy
I am 67 yrs old and I have been diagnosed with silicosis. Stage 1. I worked in a glass container factory for 14 years. I was hospitalized in Jan, 2020, for 5days with breathing problems. A lung specialist was called in to examine me, and after testing, I was told that I have silicosis. Until that point, I had never heard of Silicosis. We, as employees, we’re never informed of the dangers of silica sand or offered any type of breathing protection. The dates I worked were from 1974-1988.I have been prescribed Affair and a rescue inhaler and also percribed a Nebulizer and Alburtol for breathing treatments. Is there any recourse for me and my family?
Jon
I have been recently diagnosed with silicosis from working at a concrete plant in Florida. We manufactured pavers for driveways and the dust was always around. Needless to say this was during the time of 2000-2012 and I worked there during the “not so safe” years. I’ve been told to reach out to a legal team in regards to this but do not know where to start. I quit working there in 2012 and began working offshore. But now it looks as if my tenure offshore may be coming to a halt as I may not pass the next physical should my condition worsen. This concerns me as I do not know where to go from here. Any help would be appreciated.
John
Please contact me
sharon
my husband passed away in 2008 from silicosis he got from working at cement plant in Ocean Springs Mississippi the Blossmen plant.i havent known what to do and this is the first time ive reached out .
Gwen
I experienced the same reply from a law firm in MS about having to work at the plant five years or the they could not take the case. My husband contracted silicosis after working three years at General Motors. He worked on what they call the block room, knocking scrap off the engines. He said the room was thick with “fiberglass” particles in the air. He eventually became so ill that he ended up being taken off the job. He’s had breathing pockets removed and endless lung conditions over the past forty plus years. He just recently died of lung cancer. There must be others out there who suffered and are going through the same thing.
Janice
My husband was a sandblaster and died of silocosis 23 years ago. He went through everything described in the article. I just received a letter from lawyers in Mississippi stating that they could not take the lawsuit that I tried to file..The law suit did state that the individual had to work in the silica dust for five years but my husband had full blown silocosis in three years and died while our childern were in college. Needless to say, it was hard without his support. I also deeply regret not having him here for our grandchildren?

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Comments

This field is hidden when viewing the form
I authorize the above comments be posted on this page
Post Comment
Weekly Digest Opt-In

Want your comments reviewed by a lawyer?

To have an attorney review your comments and contact you about a potential case, provide your contact information below. This will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

MORE TOP STORIES

Hair Relaxer Lawsuit MDL Status Hearings Scheduled Throughout 2026
A series of case management conferences have been scheduled for hair relaxer litigation throughout 2026, leading up to expected bellwether trials in 2027.
MLB-NBA-Player-Indictments-Highlight-Growing-Concerns-Over-Sports-Betting-Addiction-and-Corruption
Federal indictments against MLB and NBA players reveal how legalized sports betting has blurred the line between competition and addiction, fueling corruption on the field and lawsuits off it.
Lawsuit Alleges Depo-Provera Caused Brain Surgery, After Meningioma Diagnosis
A California woman had to undergo brain surgery to remove a tumor she says was caused by Depo-Provera side effects, according to a recently filed lawsuit.