Silicosis Litigation: A Potential Sleeping Giant

photo-1 icEendicver since the United States Supreme Court published its opinion in Urie v. Thompson (1949) 337 U.S. 163, silicosis litigation has been an integral part of the rich tapestry of toxic tort litigation in this country. While it has not gained the notoriety of asbestos or tobacco litigation, silica dust exposure litigation has occupied a strong foothold in this area for the past fifty years. In fact, a number of events, recent and upcoming, will once again place the spotlight on silicosis litigation.

Crystalline silica is a generic term, which encompasses a number of minerals to include …