Railroad Lawsuit - Exposure to Toxins Causes Emphysema and Mesothelioma
Railroad workers are exposed numerous harmful toxins as a result their work. Asbestos, a material used in older train cars to line and insulate them, is a harmful substance.
Unfortunately, these toxic substances can cause havoc to the lungs of railroad workers. Our FELA lawyers help those suffering from lung diseases caused by railroads hold corporations accountable for their actions.
Asbestos
While railroads have lost favor as a transportation mode in recent decades since more people are turning to automobiles, trains have a crucial role to play in the nation's transportation network. Therefore, railroad employees have long been exposed to a variety of toxins that could influence their health. Specifically the lawyers at our Boston asbestos exposure for railroad workers lawyers note that railway employees are usually at risk for developing lung diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Asbestos is broken down into microscopic fibers which can be inhaled into lung. These fibers can cause severe lung tissue scarring that can lead a number serious respiratory illnesses, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
For instance, a man diagnosed with mesothelioma following a career on the railroad for 30 years has filed an Illinois Central Railroad lawsuit. The railroad claims to have knowingly allowed him to work in hazardous conditions without providing appropriate safety equipment or warnings about potential dangers. He claims he breathed diesel exhaust, creosote, chemicals, dust, powders and other particulates that impacted his lung.
The plaintiff claims that Illinois Central Railroad did not provide him with adequate medical treatment, hospitalization, therapy, and surgical care for his injuries and ailments. According to the lawsuit, the railroad did not fulfill their Federal Employers Liability Act duty to provide a safe work environment for employees.
Diesel fumes
Diesel engine emissions can have a negative impact on the health of railroad workers. In lawsuits against union pacific railroad , these fumes may cause lung ailments like COPD. In the case of one worker who was exposed diesel exhaust during work his employer did not provide the appropriate protection equipment. In the end, the man was diagnosed with COPD and is now required to use oxygen tanks every day.
The Guardian reported in a recent article that in the United Kingdom, where diesel exhaust is typically found in workplaces like bus depots or garages there are "growing legal claims" about exposure to harmful diesel fumes. Diesel emissions contain high levels nitrogen oxides, which are harmful to those who breathe it. Nitrogen oxides may cause irritation to the nose, eyes and throat. They can also cause temporary symptoms like coughing or phlegm. Inhaling diesel fumes could cause chest discomfort and wheezing.
Other contaminants that are found in rail yards include dust, chemicals, and creosote. These toxins are inhaled, and can cause long-term issues like COPD or lung cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified exhausts from diesel engines as carcinogens. The agency warns that exposure to diesel engine exhaust may increase the risk of bladder cancer, both for men and women.
Smoking
A railroad conductor recently filed an occupational disease claim, claiming that his exposure to toxic chemicals at work led him to develop COPD. He claims that his employer did not provide him with the appropriate safety equipment that allowed him to breathe in hundreds 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.
The toxins can seep deep into lung tissue where they cause damage, which eventually leads to chronic obstructive respiratory disorder (also known as COPD). It is a chronic disease that can cause shortness of breath wheezing and coughing that is persistent weight loss, and in some instances asthma.
Railroad employees who suffer from work-related respiratory ailments such as emphysema and other can be compensated under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), 45 U.S.C. 51. This law requires railroads to provide their employees with an adequate and safe place to work.
However this isn't always the situation. Railroad corporations are well aware of the risks that come with their job but they often fail to protect workers. FELA was created to hold railroad companies accountable for their blunders. If you suffer from an illness that is linked to your railroad career contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney who has dealt with FELA cases successfully.