NOVATO,
Calif., Aug. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in an
article published by the Daily Journal, Brayton Purcell LLP
partners James Nevin, Gilbert Purcell and attorneys Daniel Morse and Gabriela Monoz-Gomez were featured in their
representation of 34-year old plaintiff Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez in a landmark case
concluded this week in a Los Angeles
County courtroom. The case resulted in a decision in favor
of Mr. Reyes Gonzalez in which he
was awarded more than $50 million in
damages.
The article points out that the defendants included more than 30
artificial stone manufacturers and distributors. Many defendants
resolved prior to verdict, however, Caesarstone USA, Cambria
and Color Marble chose to proceed and did not produce any offer of
settlement. Brayton Purcell LLP's attorneys, along with co-counsel
Raphael Metzger and Scott Brust of the Metzger Law Group
successfully argued that the defendants are liable for Reyes Gonzalez's fatal accelerated
silicosis.
Attorney James Nevin stated
"These three defendants wanted to test out their defenses and their
defense was essentially to entirely blame the unsophisticated
fabrication shop hirer and unsophisticated fabrication shop worker,
the person with silicosis, in this case, Gustavo Reyes. And they found out that defense
didn't work."
A summary of the article is here:
- A Los Angeles jury assessed
$52 million in a case where
artificial stone slab manufacturers and suppliers were found liable
for a fabrication worker's accelerated silicosis, a fatal lung
disease.
- Jurors assigned liability for Reyes
Gonzalez's injuries to Caesarstone USA, Cambria,
and Color Marble
- This case is significant as it the first verdict related to
artificial stone products, setting a precedent for future
litigation. James Nevin said, "It
was considered a bellwether case, because it's the first of many
hundreds, if not thousands."
- The verdict highlights industry negligence, inadequate
warnings, and the potential for more litigation.
- The outcome may lead to changes in industry practices and
regulations regarding artificial stone products.
For further details, you can visit the full article here.
More information on the hazards of fabricating artificial stone
and Gustavo Reyes-Gonzalez's story
can be found in the following resources:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-08-07/jury-finds-stone-companies-at-fault-in-suit-by-countertop-cutter-with-silicosis
Incurable silicosis cost a countertop cutter his lungs. Are
these companies at fault?—Los Angeles Times
Deadly Dust—Spectrum News, Los
Angeles
Production of artificial stone countertops causing deadly lung
issues in workers - CBS News
Emerging Health Concern: Silicosis-NBC, Los Angeles
California Bill on Silicosis Safety Measures
A License to Kill is No Solution--Brayton Purcell Press
Release
Diseases Associated with Artificial Stone
The Silicosis Epidemic
Brayton Purcell Featured in The Hill—Press Release
July, 2023-- Dr. Jane Fazio from
UCLA and Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi from UCSF
– JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)
August 2012- Dr. Mordechai Kramer, et.al -- Chest
This verdict not only represents a victory for Mr.
Reyes-Gonzalez but also marks a crucial advancement in ensuring
greater accountability and enhancing safety standards within the
artificial stone slab industry.
Media Contact:
Brayton Purcell, LLP
James Nevin
jnevin@braytonlaw.com
(415) 493-3531
*This press release is provided by Brayton Purcell, LLP, representing Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez in his landmark case
against the manufacturers of artificial stone materials. *
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SOURCE Brayton Purcell LLP