NOVATO, Calif., May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Brayton Purcell LLP is calling urgent attention to a growing occupational health crisis following a May 18, 2026 report by NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce examining lung disease among U.S. countertop workers.

The reporting was published in print and featured on NPR's All Things Considered, where the broadcast includes live audio from Wade Hanicker, a countertop worker and Brayton Purcell LLP client living with artificial stone silicosis interviewed in the segment.

Hanicker described how workers focused on immediate physical hazards—"not getting a lung disease"—despite years of exposure to silica dust during countertop fabrication.

He later developed silicosis after years of cutting quartz countertops, a material composed of crystalline silica artificial stone. Initially misdiagnosed, his condition was ultimately identified as permanent, progressive lung disease.

"We… broke down and kind of cried together… this is life-changing. There is no cure for this," Wade Hanicker said.

The NPR report also highlights Tyler Jordan, a Colorado countertop worker who developed silicosis after fabricating quartz surfaces in his family's shop. Jordan began working as a teenager and continued full time after high school, expecting to eventually take over the business. After roughly a decade of exposure, he was diagnosed with silicosis—an outcome he initially struggled to accept. "I felt like I was too young. It felt like there was going to be some sort of mistake. It felt wrong," Jordan said in his interview with NPR. His condition has since progressed to include serious complications, including kidney failure requiring dialysis and a transplant, underscoring the devastating and life-altering consequences of silica exposure among workers nationwide.

The NPR report notes that California has tracked approximately 550 cases of silicosis among countertop workers, including more than 30 deaths and dozens of lung transplants. A state workplace safety board is expected to vote on whether to ban the sale and fabrication of artificial stone slabs containing more than 1% crystalline silica.

James Nevin, a partner at Brayton Purcell LLP, representing both Jordan and Hanicker, says he and his colleagues represent other workers in about 25 states, and there are reasons why countertop laborers wouldn't want to talk to reporters, lawyers, or doctors. "They're terrified of losing their jobs, if they are still able to work. They're terrified of being deported," he says. "They're afraid to come forward."

While industry representatives argue that proper safety practices can prevent disease, experts cited in the reporting dispute that position and warn that the crisis extends far beyond California.

"I believe California is actually leading the country correctly in how to address this problem," said occupational health expert Dr. Kurt Hegmann, who described the outbreak as the most severe he has seen affecting a workforce.

Epidemiologist Ken Rosenman added that the United States may be missing the vast majority of cases, stating that "95% of the cases of silicosis… are missed."

Workplace safety expert David Michaels warned that the true number of affected workers could be far higher.

"We could easily have 10,000 workers here with silicosis and possibly far more," Michaels said.

Brayton Purcell LLP represents workers nationwide affected by silica exposure and notes that the NPR reporting reflects patterns the firm continues to see across multiple states.

"This reporting reinforces what we are seeing across the country," said Nevin. "The same exposures that have devastated workers in California exist nationwide, and the system is not identifying the full scope of disease."

The firm urges regulators and policymakers to treat the NPR report and broadcast as a nationwide warning and to eliminate exposure by banning the sale and fabrication of the material.

The full report and audio recording can be found here-- https://www.npr.org/2026/05/18/nx-s1-5691570/silicosis-beyond-california-quartz-countertop-cambria

About Brayton Purcell LLP
Brayton Purcell LLP is a nationally recognized law firm dedicated to representing individuals harmed by toxic exposures, including workers affected by silicosis and other occupational diseases.

CONTACT: Nolan Lowry
nlowry@braytonlaw.com
415-399-3107

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