cancer lawsuit - Exposure to Toxins Causes Emphysema and Mesothelioma
As a result of their work, railroad workers can be exposed to various toxic substances. Asbestos, which was utilized in older train cars to line them and insulate them, is one such hazardous substance.
Unfortunately, these toxic substances can cause serious harm to the lung of railway workers. Our FELA attorneys help victims of lung diseases that are caused by railroads hold companies accountable for their negligence.
Bladder cancer lawsuit
While railroads have seen a decline as a means of transportation in recent decades since more people are turning to automobiles, trains are a major component of the nation's freight network. This is why railroad workers have been exposed for a long time to a myriad of toxic substances that can affect their health. Specifically, our Boston asbestos exposure for railroad workers lawyers note that railway employees have often been at risk of developing lung diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Asbestos can be a deadly substance that can be broken into tiny fibers that can be inhaled into the lungs. These fibers can cause serious scarring of the lung tissue, which could cause a variety of serious respiratory ailments, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
For example a man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma after working on the railroad for over 30 years has filed an Illinois Central Railroad lawsuit. The railroad allowed him to work in dangerous conditions, without providing protection equipment or warnings of potential dangers. He claims that he breathed diesel fumes, chemicals, dust and powders, as well as other particulates that affected the lungs of his.
The plaintiff claims that Illinois Central Railroad did not provide him with the proper medical treatment, hospitalization, surgical, and therapeutic treatment for his injuries and illnesses. According to his complaint the railroad breached its Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) obligation to provide its employees with a safe and secure work environment.
Diesel fumes
Diesel engine emissions can have a negative impact on the health of railroad workers. In some cases the fumes can lead to lung disease like COPD. In the case of a worker who was exposed diesel exhaust at work, his employer failed to provide the proper protection equipment. As a result, the man developed COPD and is required to use oxygen tanks on a daily basis.
The Guardian reported in a recent article that in the United Kingdom, where diesel exhaust is typically found in workplaces such as bus depots and garages there are "growing legal claims" over exposure to toxic diesel fumes. Diesel exhaust contains significant amounts of nitrogen oxides which can be harmful to those who breathe it. Nitrogen oxides can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. They can also trigger short-term discomforts such as coughing or phlegm. Inhaling diesel fumes can also cause chest tightness and wheezing.
Other contaminants that are found in rail yards are dust, chemicals, and creosote. These toxins can be inhaled and cause long-term problems such as COPD and lung cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified diesel engine exhausts as a carcinogen. The agency warns that there are indications that exposure to diesel engine exhaust could increase the risk of bladder cancer, both for females and males.
Smoking
A railroad conductor filed an occupational illness claim recently, claiming that his long-term exposure to harmful chemicals led him to develop COPD. He claims that his employer did not provide him with appropriate safety equipment, which allowed him to breathe in a myriad of compounds every day. These poisons include diesel exhaust and fumes silica, creosote coal smoke, metal dusts sulfur dioxide, benzene, chemical degreasers, dioxins and other airborne irritants.
These toxins can get deep into lung tissue where they cause damage, which eventually leads to chronic obstructive lung disease (also known as COPD). cancer lawsuits is a chronic disease that causes shortness of breath wheezing and coughing that is persistent and weight loss, and in certain cases, asthma.
Railroad employees who suffer from workplace-related respiratory ailments such as emphysema and other may be eligible for compensation under Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), 45 U.S.C. 51. This law requires that railroad companies provide their employees with a place of work that is reasonably safe.
Unfortunately it's not always the case. Railroad companies are aware of the dangers that they face in their work, but they do not take the necessary precautions to protect their workers. FELA was established to hold railroad corporations accountable for their blunders. If you suffer from an illness that is related to your railroad experience, contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney who has dealt with FELA cases successfully.