Railroad Lawsuit - Exposure to Toxins Causes Emphysema and Mesothelioma
Railroad workers are exposed numerous toxic toxins that can harm them due to their work. Asbestos, which was used in older train cars to line and insulate them, is one of these toxic substance.
Unfortunately, these hazardous substances can cause havoc to the lungs of railroad workers. Our FELA attorneys help victims of lung disease caused by railroads hold the companies accountable for their actions.
Asbestos
While railroads have lost favor as a means of transportation in recent years as more people switch to automobiles, trains are a major component of the nation's transportation network. As such, railroad workers have long been exposed to a variety of toxins that could influence their health. Particularly, our Boston asbestos exposure for railroad workers lawyers note that railway employees are often at risk of developing lung diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Asbestos is broken into tiny fibers that can be inhaled into lungs. These fibers can cause severe scarring of lung tissue, which could result in a variety of serious respiratory diseases, such as asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer.
For instance, a man diagnosed with mesothelioma following a career on the railroad for over 30 years has filed an Illinois Central Railroad lawsuit. The railroad allowed workers to work in dangerous environments, but not providing him with protective equipment or warnings of potential dangers. He claims he breathed in diesel fumes, chemicals, dust and powders, as well as other particulates, which affected the lungs of his.
Furthermore, the plaintiff claims that the Illinois Central Railroad failed to provide him with the proper medical surgery, hospital, and therapeutic care for his injuries and illnesses. According to the lawsuit, the railroad did not fulfill their Federal Employers Liability Act duty to provide a safe working environment for employees.
Multiple myeloma lawsuit fumes
The fumes released by diesel engines can be harmful to a railroad worker's health. In some instances the fumes can cause lung diseases, such as COPD. In the case where an machinist was exposed diesel exhaust while working, his employer did not provide adequate protection equipment. In the process, the man was diagnosed with COPD and is now required to use oxygen tanks daily.
The Guardian reported in a recent article that in the United Kingdom, where diesel exhaust is frequently found in places of work like 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 of the eyes, nose and throat, and can cause temporary symptoms like coughing or phlegm. The inhalation of diesel fumes can cause chest discomfort and wheezing.
Other pollutants that can be found in rail yards include dust chemicals, creosote, and dust. These toxic substances are inhaled and may cause long-term problems such as COPD or lung cancer. Kidney cancer lawsuit for Research on Cancer classified exhausts from diesel engines as carcinogens. The agency also warns that there is evidence that exposure to diesel exhaust may increase the risk of bladder cancer in men as well as women.
Smoking
A railroad worker filed an occupational health claim recently and claims that his long-term exposure at work to toxic chemicals caused him to develop COPD. Kidney cancer lawsuit says that his employer failed to provide him with appropriate safety equipment, allowing him to inhale hundreds of compounds on a daily basis. These poisons include diesel exhaust and fumes silica, creosote, coal smoke, metal dusts sulfur dioxide, benzene dioxins, chemical degreasers, and other airborne irritants.
mesothelioma lawsuit with these poisons is that they're capable of piercing deep into the lung tissue, where they cause damage, and eventually cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease commonly referred to as COPD. It is a chronic disease that causes breathlessness, persistent coughing and wheezing, weight loss, and in certain instances, asthma.
Railroad employees who suffer from work-related respiratory diseases such as emphysema can be compensated under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) 45 U.S.C. 51. Lymphoma lawsuit requires railroad companies to offer their employees a place of work that is reasonably safe.
However, this isn't always the reality. Railroad companies are aware of the risks that they face in their work, but they fail to safeguard their employees. This negligence is what FELA was designed to be accountable for. If you suffer from an illness that is associated with your railroad work, contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney who has handled FELA cases successfully.