railroad cancer lawsuit - Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Railroad workers can be exposed to a range of carcinogenic chemicals, such as diesel exhaust fumes, welding fumes and chemical solvents. These can cause a variety of diseases that include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
A lawyer for cancer of the railroad can help you determine if your disease is linked to workplace exposures, and then seek compensation for medical expenses and pain and discomfort.
Benzene
Benzene is a well-known chemical compound throughout the world. It is a colorless or pale yellow liquid that is sweet and rapidly evaporates into air. It is utilized in degreasers, dyes, solvents, pesticides, lubricants, plastics and resins. It is also naturally present in crude oil. Long-term exposure to benzene can harm the bone marrow, causing leukemia, as well as other blood-related cancers. It can also cause convulsions, changes to heartbeat and liver diseases, and can reduce the fertility of a person.
Railroad workers are at elevated risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma myelodysplastic syndrome, and multiple myeloma due exposure to benzene. This is particularly true for those who worked near locomotives or in the railroad shop where they could have been exposed to diesel exhaust. Exposure to coal tar, which is used to preserve wood is also a risk of exposure to benzene.
The personal representative of a BNSF worker who died of leukemia has filed 27 lawsuits against the company, eight of them in 2018. The plaintiff's history for the railway company spanned back many decades. She was hostler at a yard in Alliance, Nebraska for 33 years. She was exposed by diesel exhaust and other toxic chemicals while working on cars, locomotives and rail ties. She also used benzene-based chemicals Liquid Wrench to break bolts.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide is used by railroad workers in order to kill weeds on tracks and around stations. However, exposure to this chemical is dangerous and can lead to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as other serious health problems. If you've been exposed to glyphosate or other chemicals and develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a railroad injury lawyer can help obtain compensation from the business who harmed you.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has classified Glyphosate as a potential cancerous chemical. The chemical works by targeting a protein in plants called shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS). This stops EPSPS from producing its own natural product which is the basic building block of proteins. The glyphosate bonds to the EPSPS, destroying its structure. It also stops the EPSPS from carrying out its normal functions, which can lead to cell death.
In the short term, glyphosate can have negative effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, eye irritation, and skin irritation. In extreme instances, exposure to glyphosate can cause death. The herbicide is commonly used on a broad range of crops such as soy beans, corn, and grains. It is also present in drinking water via rainwater and surface runoff. Because of its widespread use consumers consume a lot of tiny amounts of glyphosate.
Asbestos
Railroad workers are exposed to various dangerous substances, including diesel fumes, benzene asbestos, coal dust, silica and creosote. Carcinogens can cause cancer, lung disease and other health issues. Federal law permits retired, former and current rail employees to sue their employers when they are diagnosed with medical issues related to their work exposures.
Asbestos played a major role in the railroad industry for years and many railroad workers were affected by exposure to this toxic material. A knowledgeable railroad asbestos exposure lawyer can review your workplace records as well as medical records to determine if you have developed mesothelioma or another disease due to work-related exposure.
A conductor of a train filed an action against Norfolk Southern over Hodgkin lymphoma and claims that Norfolk Southern did not protect him from exposure to harmful chemicals. The lawsuit claims the railroad company violated FELA safety regulations by not removing asbestos and other harmful materials and also not monitoring exposure of workers to dangerous chemicals.
The lawsuit states that the duties of a train conductor included operating and managing railroad machinery. The suit also asserts that railroads used weedkillers to maintain right-of-way spaces which exposed workers to the herbicide glyphosate, which is toxic and known to cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, among other illnesses. A jury handed the plaintiff one million dollars in compensation damages.
Second-Hand Smoke
A large number of railroad employees have been diagnosed with cancer and other chronic illnesses because of the toxic chemicals they were exposed to daily. Railroad employees who suffer from cancer or other maladies due to exposure to carcinogenic substances are able to file lawsuits under FELA against their former employers.
For instance one man from Pennsylvania who was a railroad worker filed a lawsuit against his former employers claiming that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer due to being exposed to carcinogens for nearly 40 years. He claimed that he was exposed to asbestos, vinyl chloride and other dangerous substances on a regular basis while working for various railroad companies in the Philadelphia region.
Another railroad worker who filed a lawsuit claimed that his work as a railway worker contributed to the development of lung cancer, as well as other serious health issues. He was a worker for CSX Transportation, Inc. for over 20 years and was exposed daily to toxic substances like diesel exhaust and secondhand smoking. He also worked with railroad ties which were coated with a chemical called creosote.
Despite the dangers of secondhand smoke had been well-known for a long time, many railroads were slow to adopt smoking bans on locomotive cabs. Secondhand smoke exposure has been linked to a range of diseases and cancers including asthma and bronchitis.