Court Asked to Declare that Plaintiff in Upcoming Trial Has Silicosis

LAUREL, Miss. - A silica plaintiff whose case is expected to be tried in May has moved for summary judgment, effectively asking the court to declare that he has silicosis after experts for both sides and an independent medical exam showed that he is suffering from the disease. Spratley v. Clark Sand Co., et al., No. 2004-61-CV4 (Miss. Cir. Ct., Jones Cty.).

The motion was filed March 15 in Jones County Circuit Court by Larry Spratley, a 58-year-old former sandblaster who contends that he developed silicosis after constant exposure to dust between 1973 and 2004.

According to Spratley, medical evidence …