( May 13, 2024, 9:28 AM EDT) -- SANTA ANA, Calif. — One of several defendants sued by workers who say they developed pulmonary injuries from exposure to crystalline silica XE "crystalline silica" while cutting stone countertops has filed an answer in California state court, denying all allegations on grounds that the plaintiffs fail to state a claim and asserting 97 affirmative defenses, including that “all injuries, losses or damages” were the result of “an unavoidable incident or condition and, as such, were an act of God.”...