NOVATO, Calif., April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As national attention intensifies around a rapidly escalating occupational lung disease affecting countertop fabrication workers, Brayton Purcell LLP is participating in a major East Coast symposium examining the growing silicosis crisis linked to crystalline silica artificial stone. The Confronting the Artificial Stone Silicosis Epidemic: A Unified Approach to Medical, Litigation, and Regulatory Action symposium, presented by the American Museum of Tort Law, will take place on April 9, 2026, in Winsted, Connecticut, with both in person and virtual attendance options.

Crystalline silica artificial stone—also referred to as engineered, artificial or manufactured stone—is composed of at least 90% crystalline silica, with nano-sized respirable particles released during cutting, grinding, and polishing. The remaining ~10% of the material includes highly toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as metals, resins, glues, and dyes. Inhalation of these particles leads to accelerated silicosis, an incurable, irreversible, and fatal, lung disease.

Brayton Purcell LLP partner James Nevin said the symposium represents an important moment for increased national awareness of the issue.

"The American Museum of Tort Law's Artificial Stone Silicosis Symposium will bring continued national attention to a growing public health crisis impacting many working families. Medical research shows that crystalline silica artificial stone poses severe, often fatal, dangers during fabrication by living, breathing human beings. Workers exposed while fabricating these slabs are developing an incurable disease that is entirely preventable by moving the industry toward non-toxic slab materials."

The symposium will convene physicians, public health advocates, attorneys, and impacted workers to examine what many are describing as a modern, "asbestos-like" public health emergency.

Founding partner of Brayton Purcell LLP, Al Brayton, emphasized the legal and human consequences associated with continued use of artificial stone.

"As the American Museum of Tort Law's Symposium on Artificial Stone approaches, the legal implications are impossible to ignore. Crystalline silica artificial stone continues to put fabrication workers in direct jeopardy. The irreversible disease tied to this exposure has already devastated far too many families who had every reason to believe they were working with perfectly safe materials. The time has come for the slab manufacturers to confront the known dangers of this product and adopt alternative, readily available, slab materials that do not place workers' lives at risk."

According to Melissa Bird, Executive Director of the American Museum of Tort Law, the growing number of cases underscores the urgency of the discussion.

"This is not a historical problem, it's happening right now, and it's accelerating. We are seeing patterns that echo some of the most devastating occupational health crises in American history, from asbestos to coal mining-related black lung disease."

Recent national reporting and congressional attention have highlighted the dangers associated with artificial stone exposure and the increasing number of diagnosed accelerated silicosis cases across the United States. While some countries have taken decisive action in response to the severity of the health risks, cases continue to emerge internationally and domestically, including newly identified cases in the Northeast.

The symposium represents a critical opportunity to share medical and legal perspectives, elevate public understanding, and examine the real-world consequences of silica exposure associated with artificial stone fabrication.

Event Details

Artificial Stone Silicosis Symposium
Thursday, April 9, 2026
American Museum of Tort Law
Winsted, Connecticut

Also Offered Via Zoom

Program details and registration:
https://www.tortmuseum.org/events/confronting-the-artificial-stone-silicosis-epidemic-a-unified-approach-to-medical-litigation-and-regulatory-action/

Media Contact is:
Nolan Lowry
nlowry@braytonlaw.com
415-399-3107

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SOURCE Brayton Purcell LLP