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Suffering From Job-Related Silicosis?

If your job involves working with materials like drywall, insulation, cement, glass tiles, fiber cement siding, or engineered stone, you are likely one of the approximately 2.3 million workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica every year. Among various other diseases and health problems, long-term exposure to these particles is strongly correlated with the development of silicosis, a serious and sometimes life-threatening lung condition.

Cases involving such exposure often fall outside worker’s compensation laws. If you believe your silicosis diagnosis is related to unreasonably hazardous working conditions, talk to our personal injury attorneys at Miller Injury Firm about your legal options. Our lawyers can review your case, determine whether you have grounds for a claim and help you seek fair compensation for your and your family’s losses. We handle silicosis injury cases throughout Middle Tennessee, and we have offices in Brentwood, Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Lebanon.

What Is Silicosis?

Silica, or silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring substance that can be found in just about every mineral deposit found in the earth’s crust, and most commonly in minerals like quartz that often go into construction materials. While normally harmless in its natural form, the manipulation and/or destruction of minerals and materials with silica in them create silica dust, which can be extremely dangerous if inhaled in large quantities over time.

Once someone inhales crystalline silica, those particles infiltrate their respiratory system, attach to the alveoli inside the lungs, and then overwhelm and kill both lung cells and the body’s white blood cells that try to neutralize the foreign particles.

Long-term exposure to silica can lead to chronic silicosis, a variant of the disease that progresses extremely slowly over a decade or longer and can be very difficult to identify. The harm from inhaling crystalline silica also can occur very quickly and without warning. No matter what type of silicosis you are dealing with, our attorneys can help you take full advantage of their options for seeking compensation through a personal injury claim.

What Are The Symptoms Of Silicosis?

Early symptoms of silica exposure may not extend beyond shortness of breath during physical exertion and occasionally a painful dry cough. More severe cases can cause:

  • Persistent cough
  • Excess phlegm
  • Chest pain and tightness
  • Fatigue
  • Appetite problems
  • Extreme difficulty breathing or even speaking
  • Night sweats

In severe cases, these symptoms can be debilitating.

Common Industries That Result In Silica Exposure

Silicosis is more common in industries such as:

  • Construction
  • Manufacturing
  • Mining
  • Other industrial work

The vast majority of silicosis cases are from the construction industry.

Pursuing Financial Recovery For Silicosis

Modern safety equipment and working practices have made silicosis a largely preventable disease, even among individuals who work with materials that produce silica dust. Unfortunately, not every employer provides appropriate equipment or ensures safe working conditions for their employees, leading to thousands of silicosis diagnoses that could have been avoided were it not for the negligent behavior of these companies.

Due to how severe the effects of this disease can be, filing a suit against a former employer who irresponsibly allowed you to be exposed to silica dust on the job can result in significant compensation for both economic and noneconomic effects of this disease. Furthermore, while silicosis lawsuits are sometimes combined into multidistrict litigation, these cases generally do not take the form of class action lawsuits. This means our lawyers can help you seek restitution for the full value of your damages.

You should be aware that many states have statutes of limitations on bringing actions for silicosis injuries. For example, in Tennessee, the statute of limitations is one year from when you discovered the injury or should have reasonably discovered the injury.

Find Out How We Can Help With Your Silicosis Case

On top of producing various painful symptoms, silicosis has the potential to permanently keep you from working and possibly even threaten your life. However, if you can trace your diagnosis back to unsafe working conditions, you may have grounds to hold a negligent former employer financially accountable for the harm they caused you and your family.

Before trying to pursue this kind of claim on your own, you should strongly consider speaking with a Middle Tennessee silicosis lawyer at Miller Injury Firm. Schedule your free initial consultation by calling 615-922-5693 today.