Railroad Lawsuit - Exposure to Toxins Causes Emphysema and Mesothelioma
Railroad workers are exposed numerous harmful toxins as a result their work. Asbestos, a material used in older train cars to line them and insulate them, is one such harmful substance.
Unfortunately, these hazardous substances can be destructive to the lung health of railroad workers. Our FELA lawyers assist victims of lung disease caused by railroads hold the companies accountable for their negligent acts.
Asbestos
While railroads have seen a decline as a transportation mode in recent decades as more people switch to automobiles, trains play a vital role in the nation's network of freight. Railroad workers have been exposed to toxic substances for a long time, which can negatively affect their health. Our Boston asbestos lawyers for railroad workers have observed that railroad employees are at risk of developing lung ailments such as asbestosis or mesothelioma.
Asbestos is a dangerous substance which can be broken down into microscopically thin fibers that can be inhaled into the lung. These fibers can cause severe scarring of lung tissue, which can cause a variety of serious respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
For instance a man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma following a career on the railroad for more than 30 years has filed an Illinois Central Railroad lawsuit. Bladder cancer lawsuit claims that the railroad allowed him to work in dangerous environments, without providing the necessary protective equipment or warnings about possible dangers. He claims he breathed in diesel fumes, chemicals, dust and powders, along with other particles that affected the lungs of his.
In union pacific railroad lawsuit , the man claims the Illinois Central Railroad failed to provide him with adequate medical, hospital, surgical and therapeutic care for his injuries and ailments. According to the lawsuit, the railroad did not fulfill their Federal Employers Liability Act duty to provide a safe work environment for its employees.
Diesel fumes
The fumes released by diesel engines can impact the health of railroad workers. In some cases they can lead to lung disease like COPD. In union pacific railroad lawsuit that the machinist was exposed diesel exhaust while working, his employer did not provide adequate protection equipment. The worker was diagnosed with COPD as a result and now uses oxygen tanks every day.
The Guardian reported in a recent article that in the United Kingdom, where diesel exhaust is typically found in places of work like bus depots and garages there are "growing legal claims" regarding exposure to toxic diesel fumes. Diesel emissions contain significant amounts of nitrogen oxides which can be harmful to people. Nitrogen oxides can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. They can also cause temporary symptoms like a cough or phlegm. Inhaling diesel fumes may also cause chest pain and wheezing.
In addition to the diesel fumes and other pollutants, others that can be found in the rail yard include chemicals, creosote, dust and powders. These toxic substances are inhaled and could cause long-term health issues such as COPD or lung cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified exhausts from diesel engines as carcinogens. The agency warns that exposure to diesel engine exhaust can increase the risk of bladder cancer, both for women and men.
Smoking
A railroad worker filed a claim for occupational illness recently, claiming that his long-term exposure at work to harmful chemicals led him to develop COPD. He claims that his employer failed to provide him with appropriate safety equipment, allowing him to breathe in hundreds of chemicals on a daily basis. These poisons include diesel fumes as well as exhaust, silica dust, creosote and metal dusts that are found in coal smoke sulfur dioxide and benzene as in chemical degreasers as well as dioxins.
The problem with these toxins is that they are able to penetrate deep into the lung tissue, where they cause damage and eventually cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder which is also known as COPD. It is a chronic disease that can cause shortness of breath as well as wheezing and coughing incessantly weight loss, and in some cases, asthma.
The Federal Employers Liability Act, 45 U.S.C., provides compensation for railroad workers suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments caused by their work. 51. This law requires that railroads provide their employees with a place of work that is reasonably safe.
However, this isn't always the situation. Railroad corporations are well aware of the risks they face in their job but they often fail to protect workers. This is the reason why FELA was created to make them accountable for. If you've been diagnosed with an illness related to your railroad career, contact an expert mesothelioma lawyer who has handled successfully FELA cases.