Historic Verdict in Los Angeles, California: Jury Returns a $52,437,366 to Silicosis Victim in Landmark Artificial Stone Case
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a precedent-setting legal battle, plaintiff Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez, a 34-year-old immigrant from Mexico, has received a verdict for $52,437,366 in damages after a Los Angeles County jury found the defendant manufacturers of artificial stone slabs liable for his fatal accelerated silicosis. This landmark verdict marks the first of its kind in the U.S., highlighting the severe health risks associated with the fabrication of artificial stone (quartz) slabs to make kitchen and bathroom countertops.
The lawsuit involved over 30 artificial stone slab manufacturer and supplier defendants, with many resolving before trial, however Caesarstone USA, Cambria, and Color Marble went to verdict after a month-long trial. The jury found in favor of plaintiff Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez, and against the three remaining defendants in the amount of $52,437,366 in damages.
Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez was represented by a trial team from the law firm Brayton Purcell LLP consisting of Gilbert Purcell, James Nevin, Daniel Morse, and Gabriela Monoz-Gomez and by Raphael Metzger and Scott Brust of the Metzger Law Group. He worked in stone fabrication shops for 15 years until at age 33 he developed accelerated silicosis resulting in a lung transplant. However, transplanted lungs only function an average of 5 years, requiring him to get repeated lung transplants to survive.
Lead trial partner, Gilbert Purcell of Brayton Purcell LLP stated: "On behalf of our client Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez, and our entire trial team, we want to thank the jury for their courageous verdict. Thank goodness for jurors and our civil justice system."
Partner James Nevin of Brayton Purcell LLP stated: "Since this is the first of hundreds of trials, it was important for the artificial stone slab manufacturer and supplier defendants to hear the message loud and clear from the jury – stop selling your deadly fashion products. The health and lives of these young fabrication workers are far more important than your profits. The jury heard the evidence that the defendants' warnings, when actually conveyed at all, are entirely inadequate, and that the defendants' products are inherently defective in that they cannot be fabricated safely. The jury rightly rejected the defendants' efforts to place the blame for accelerated silicosis on plaintiff's unsophisticated hirers who never received any warnings at all from the defendants. The defendants have known for decades that their artificial stone products are deadly to fabrication workers, and yet they continue to sell it, in relentless pursuit of profits over worker safety. We hope that upon hearing about this verdict, more fabrication workers will come forward, having learned that they too have a right to justice. And, we hope that consumers, will hear about this verdict, and stop buying these deadly products."
This case sheds light on the growing health crisis among fabrication workers caused by artificial stone slabs. While the defendants tried to blame his silicosis on the fabrication shop that hired him, Brayton Purcell LLP represents over 150 fabrication workers with silicosis who worked at over 350 different fabrication shops. The problem is the product, not the shops. This is why Australia banned it as impossible to be fabricated without causing workers to develop fatal silicosis. Reports indicate a rise in silicosis cases among workers exposed to quartz dust, prompting calls for stricter safety regulations. More information on the hazards of fabricating artificial stone and Gustavo Reyes-Gonzalez's story can be found in the following resources:
Deadly Dust—Spectrum News, Los Angeles
Production of artificial stone countertops causing deadly lung issues in workers - CBS News
Emerging Health Concern: Silicosis-NBC, Los Angeles
California Bill on Silicosis Safety Measures
A License to Kill is No Solution--Brayton Purcell Press Release
Diseases Associated with Artificial Stone
Brayton Purcell Featured in The Hill—Press Release
August 2012 – Dr. Mordechai Kramer, et. al – Chest
This verdict is not just a victory for Mr. Reyes-Gonzalez, but also a significant step towards greater accountability and safety in the artificial stone slab industry.
Media Contact:
Brayton Purcell, LLP
James Nevin
[email protected]
(415) 493-3531
This press release is provided by Brayton Purcell, LLP, representing Gustavo Reyes-Gonzalez in his landmark case against the manufacturers of artificial stone materials.
SOURCE Brayton Purcell LLP
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