Huntington Beach Silicosis Lawyer

Huntington Beach Silicosis Attorney

Silicosis is a serious lung disease that can be considered an occupational hazard in many fields, including stonecutting, construction, and sandblasting. If you work in one of these fields and are developing symptoms of silicosis, you should speak with a Huntington Beach silicosis lawyer who can help you file your workers’ compensation claim and determine if there are any other parties to blame for your disease.

Trust Canlas Law Group

The attorneys at Canlas Law Group, APLC have a deep understanding of silicosis laws and how they pertain to Huntington Beach workers. Whether you developed silicosis as a result of one significant exposure or many years of sub-acute levels of exposure, you deserve access to the workers’ compensation benefits you need to pay your medical bills and make up for lost wages. Our team can help you get them.

Our law firm has earned many accolades and awards, such as the Top 25 Workers’ Compensation Trial Lawyers, and our founding attorney, Christopher Canlas, has been deemed a Super Lawyer. Our seasoned legal team regularly handles cases at the Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, and we can confidently represent you should your case proceed to litigation. Your silicosis case in Huntington Beach is in good hands at Canlas Law Group.

Why Hire a Silicosis Lawyer?

Silicosis in California is uniquely high among countertop workers. Between 2019 and 2025, 432 cases were reported in this industry, leading to at least 25 deaths and 48 lung transplants. A total of 86 of them were in Orange County.

You deserve access to a healthy work environment that does not place you at risk of developing an incurable disease. Hire a silicosis lawyer to help you get access to the workers’ compensation benefits you need to help you manage this challenging disease and, if applicable, seek compensation for additional damages.

What Is Silicosis?

Silica is a natural chemical that can be found in everything from rocks to dust. Like asbestos, it can’t be identified by sight or smell, but it can cause severe health repercussions, including silicosis, COPD, and lung cancer.

Silicosis is a serious lung disease that causes scarring and hardening of lung tissues. People develop it by breathing in silica in its crystalline form, so this issue primarily affects those working in environments with high concentrations of silica dust. Historically, that has meant miners and sandblasters. In more recent years, countertop workers have also been developing silicosis at alarming rates. Other industries that have high rates of silicosis include:

• Concrete and rock drilling
• Masonry work
• Coal mining
• Demolition work
• Quarrying
• Foundry work
• Glass manufacturing
• Asphalt manufacturing
• Dental product manufacturing

There is no cure for silicosis or the lung diseases related to it, but the condition can be managed using breathing treatments. A doctor may also be able to prescribe you an inhaler to assist with your breathing.

Silica Exposure and Workers’ Rights

OSHA has set standards regarding silica exposure in the workplace. The permissible exposure limit is 50 μg.m3 per eight-hour shift. If companies don’t abide by this limit, they can be fined. If you get sick as a result of being exposed to silica at work, you are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits.

Symptoms of Silicosis

Silicosis symptoms may not develop for several years following your initial exposure, as the disease tends to have a long latency period. If you suspect that you have been exposed to silica dust, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately. They can check for silica in your lungs. Otherwise, the symptoms of silicosis to watch out for if you have been working at a local countertop manufacturer include:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Severe, persistent cough
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Sputum production

Your doctor can diagnose silicosis on the basis of lung function tests and biopsies, CT scans, bronchoscopies, and other forms of diagnostic imaging. The forms of silicosis include:

• Simple chronic silicosis
• Accelerated silicosis
• Acute silicosis

All of these forms of lung disease can be equally serious, and all of them can qualify you for receiving workers’ compensation insurance with the help of a Huntington Beach silicosis attorney.

FAQs About Huntington Beach, CA Silicosis Law

How Long Do You Have to Be Exposed to Get Silicosis?

How long you have to be exposed to get silicosis varies based on your level of exposure. Chronic silicosis can take a decade of low-level exposure to develop, whereas accelerated silicosis from heavier exposure can develop within several years. Acute silicosis often appears within a year and results from very intense, short-term exposure.

Should I Be Worried About Silicosis?

You should be worried about silicosis if you work in a field that exposes you to silica dust, such as mining, construction, or sandblasting. Silicosis is a severe, irreversible lung disease that causes symptoms like chronic coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue. There is no cure, which makes prevention the most essential element of dealing with this serious disease.

Is Breathing a Little Bit of Silica Dust OK?

Breathing even a little bit of silica dust is not OK. It can cause silicosis and increase your likelihood of developing other serious diseases, including lung cancer and COPD. While the damage from silicosis typically accumulates over time from consistent exposure, there is no known safe level of inhaling this chemical substance.

What Should I Do if I Inhaled Silica?

If you inhaled silica, you should see a doctor immediately. Silica inhalation can cause silicosis. While there is no cure for the damage, which can cause coughing, shortness of breath, and other worrisome symptoms, there are ways to manage the disease. Your doctor may be able to help you avoid further exposure and prescribe you inhalers or oxygen to prevent your symptoms from getting worse.

Your Huntington Beach Silicosis Lawyer

Silicosis is a serious, irreversible lung disease. If you have been diagnosed with it, you deserve to receive compensation. Working with a Huntington Beach silicosis lawyer is the easiest way to obtain access to the compensation you need to pay medical bills and make up for lost wages. Canlas Law Group can help. Our team has years of experience in handling workers’ compensation claims, including silicosis cases. We can help you, too. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.