Railroad Lawsuit - Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Railroad workers are exposed to a variety of carcinogenic substances including diesel exhaust fumes, welding fumes, and chemical solvents. This can cause a variety of illnesses like non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
A lawyer for cancer of the railroad can help you determine whether your disease is linked to exposure at work, and can help you seek reimbursement for medical expenses as well as pain and discomfort.
Benzene
Benzene is a widely used chemical compound that is found all over the world. It is a transparent, light yellow liquid with a sweet odor that evaporates quickly into the air. It is employed in dyes, degreasers pesticides, solvents, lubricants, plastics and resins. It is also found in crude oil. Exposure to benzene for long periods of time can affect bone marrow and cause leukemia, in addition to other blood-related diseases. It can also trigger heartbeat fluctuations and convulsions as well as liver disease and reduce fertility.
Exposure to benzene by railroad workers may increase the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as other cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic Syndrome, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic disorder. This is particularly true of those who worked around or on locomotives in the railroad shop, where they could be exposed to diesel exhaust. Anyone exposed to coal tar creosote which is a wood preservative, could be at risk of benzene exposure as well.
The personal representative of the BNSF employee who died from leukemia filed 27 lawsuits, including eight in 2018. The plaintiff worked for the railway company for decades. She worked for 33 years as a hostler in the yard in Alliance, Nebraska. She was exposed to diesel exhaust and other toxic chemicals when working on cars, locomotives and rail ties. She also worked with benzene-based chemicals such as Liquid Wrench as a bolt-breaking solvent.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is a popular herbicide used by railroad workers to eliminate weeds and vegetation along the tracks as well as around train stations. However exposure to this chemical is hazardous and can cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as other serious health problems. If you've been exposed to glyphosate and have developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, an railroad injury lawyer can assist you to seek compensation from the company who harmed you.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has classified glyphosate as a possible cancerous substance. The chemical works by targeting a protein in plants called shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS). This blocks EPSPS from making its own natural product which is the basic building block of proteins. The glyphosate is able to bind with EPSPS, destroying its structure. It also stops the EPSPS from carrying out its normal functions, which can lead to cell death.
In union pacific railroad lawsuits , glyphosate can have negative effects such as nausea vomiting, diarrhea, irritation to the eyes and skin. In extreme cases, exposure to glyphosate can cause death. The herbicide is extensively used on a wide range of crops such as cereal grains, soybeans and corn. Surface runoff and rainwater can also contain glyphosate. Because of its widespread use, small amounts of glyphosate are regularly consumed by people.
Asbestos
Railroad workers are exposed various dangerous substances, including diesel fumes, benzene, asbestos, coal dust silica and creosote. These carcinogens can lead to lung diseases, cancer and other health problems. Federal law permits current, former and retired rail employees to sue their employers when they are diagnosed with medical issues related to their work-related 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 railroad asbestos exposure attorney can review your medical records and work records to determine if your condition was mesothelioma, or a different illness due to on-the-job asbestos exposure.
A train conductor has filed an action in the United America against Norfolk Southern for Hodgkin's lymphoma. He claims that the company did not do enough to protect his health from harmful chemicals. The lawsuit claims that the railroad company has violated FELA safety regulations by failing to eliminate asbestos and other harmful substances and also not ensuring that workers are exposed to toxic chemicals.
The lawsuit states that the duties of a conductor on trains included handling and operating railroad machinery. It also claims that the railroad used weed killers to keep right-of-way spaces clean which could have led to exposure to glyphosate, a toxic herbicide that may cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other ailments. A jury handed the plaintiff one million dollars as compensatory damages.
Second-Hand Smoke
A number of railroad workers have been diagnosed as having cancer and other chronic diseases because of the toxic chemicals that they were exposed to every day. Under FELA railroad employees who suffer from cancer or other diseases due to their exposure to carcinogenic chemicals can sue their former employers.
For instance one man from Pennsylvania who was a railroad worker filed an action against his former employer alleging that he developed kidney cancer as a result of being exposed to carcinogens for nearly 40 years. He claimed that he was exposed to asbestos, vinyl chloride and other harmful substances daily while working for various railroad companies in the Philadelphia area.
Another railroad worker filed a lawsuit alleging that his position as a railroad worker was a contributing factor to lung cancer and other serious ailments. He was a worker for CSX Transportation, Inc. for 20 years and was exposed daily to harmful toxins such as diesel exhaust and secondhand smoking. He also handled railroad ties that were coated with Creosote, a chemical.
Although the dangers of secondhand smoke had been widely known for years, some railroads resisted implementing smoking bans in locomotive cabs. Smoking secondhand has been linked to many illnesses and serious health conditions, like asthma, bronchitis and heart and lung diseases.