A Step-By-Step Guide To Railroad Lawsuit Multiple Myeloma From Start To Finish

Railroad Lawsuit - Exposure to Toxins Causes Emphysema and Mesothelioma

Due to the work they do, railroad workers can be exposed to a variety of harmful toxins. Asbestos, a material used in older train cars to line and insulate them, is a toxic substance.

Unfortunately, these toxic substances can cause serious damage to the lungs of railway workers. Our FELA lawyers assist victims of lung diseases that affect railroad workers and hold corporations responsible for their negligent actions.

Asbestos

Trains play a significant role in the country's transportation network, even though railroads have lost their popularity in recent years because more people are choosing cars. Railroad workers are exposed to toxic substances for a long period of time, which can adversely affect their health. Our Boston railroad worker asbestos lawyers recognize that railroad workers are at risk of developing lung diseases such as asbestosis or mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a hazard that can break down into microscopically thin fibers that can be breathed into the lungs. These fibers can cause severe scarring of lung tissue, which could cause a variety of serious respiratory conditions such as asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer.

For example, a man diagnosed with mesothelioma following a career on the railroad for more than 30 years has filed an Illinois Central Railroad lawsuit. He claims the railroad knew about it and let him work in hazardous environments without providing him with adequate protective equipment or warnings about potential dangers. He claims to have inhaled diesel fumes or chemicals, dust or powders, as well as other particles that affected the lungs of his.

In addition, the man claims the Illinois Central Railroad failed to provide him with the proper medical surgical, hospital and therapeutic care for his injuries and illnesses. According to his complaint the railroad has violated its Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) obligation to provide employees with a safe and secure work environment.

Diesel fumes

Diesel engine fumes can have a negative impact on the health of railroad workers. In some instances the fumes can cause lung diseases such as COPD. In the event that a machinist had to breathe in diesel exhaust during work his employer failed to provide the appropriate protective equipment. In the end, the man developed COPD and is now required to utilize oxygen tanks on a regular basis.

In the United Kingdom, where diesel engine exhaust is prevalent in workplaces like bus depots and garages, an article recently published by The Guardian reports that "UK legal cases increase over exposure at work to harmful diesel fumes." Diesel exhausts contain high levels of nitrogen oxides which can be harmful to humans. Nitrogen oxides can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. They can also cause short-term discomforts such as a cough or phlegm. Inhaling diesel fumes can cause chest tightness and wheezing.

In addition to the diesel fumes, other pollutants found in some rail yard environments include chemicals, creosote dust and powders. These toxins can be inhaled and cause long-term problems such as COPD and lung cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified diesel engine exhaust as a definitive carcinogen.  lawsuits against union pacific railroad  warns that exposure to diesel engine exhaust could increase the risks of bladder cancer for both females and males.

Smoking

A railroad conductor filed a claim for occupational illness recently, claiming that his long-term exposure at work to toxic chemicals led him to develop COPD. He claims that his employer failed to provide him with appropriate safety equipment, which allowed him to breathe in a myriad of compounds every day. These toxic substances include diesel fumes, exhaust, silica dust creosote as well as metal dusts in coal smoke sulfur dioxide, benzene as along with chemical degreasers and dioxins.

The issue with these toxic substances is that they are able to penetrate deep into the lung tissue where they cause damage and eventually cause chronic obstructive lung disease commonly referred to as COPD. It is a chronic disease that causes shortness of breath wheezing and coughing that is persistent weight loss, and in certain instances, asthma.

Railroad employees who suffer from workplace-related respiratory illnesses such as emphysema, asthma, or other can be compensated under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), 45 U.S.C. 51. This law requires railroad companies to provide their employees with a workplace that is reasonably safe.

Unfortunately this isn't always situation. Railroad companies are aware of the risks that are inherent to their work However, they fail to protect workers. This is why FELA was designed to hold them accountable for. If you have developed a medical condition linked to your railroad work, you should contact an experienced mesothelioma lawyer that has successfully handled FELA cases.