Railroad Lawsuit - Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Railroad workers are exposed numerous carcinogenic chemicals, including diesel exhaust fumes. It can trigger a variety of illnesses including non-Hodgkin's lupus.
A railroad cancer attorney can assist you in determining whether your illness is related to workplace exposures, and then seek reimbursement for medical expenses as well as discomfort and pain.
Benzene
Benzene is a commonly used chemical compound throughout the world. It is a transparent, light yellow liquid with a sweet smell that evaporates quickly into the air. It is employed as a dye, solvent, degreaser, pesticide and lubricant, as well as plastics and resins. It also occurs naturally in crude oil. Long-term exposure to benzene may damage bone marrow and cause leukemia as well as other blood-related illnesses. It can also trigger convulsions, changes to heartbeat and liver disease, and decrease fertility in a person.
Railroad workers are at a higher risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, and multiple myeloma because of their exposure to benzene. This is especially true of those who worked near or on locomotives in the railway shop where they may be exposed to diesel exhaust. If they were exposed coal tar creosote, a wood preservative, could be at risk of exposure to benzene as well.
The personal representative of an BNSF worker who died of leukemia has filed 27 lawsuits against the company, eight of them in the year 2018. The plaintiff worked for the railway company for many years. She worked as hostler in a yard in Alliance, Nebraska for 33 years. She was exposed to diesel exhaust and other toxic chemicals when working on cars, locomotives and rail ties. She also worked with benzene-based chemical such as Liquid Wrench as a solvent to break bolts.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is a common herbicide employed by railroad workers to kill weeds as well as other vegetation on the tracks and around train stations. However, exposure to this chemical is dangerous and could lead to non-Hodgkin lymphoma as well as other serious health issues. If you've been exposed to the chemical glyphosate and later developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a railroad accident lawyer can help seek compensation from the company who caused you harm.
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 prevents EPSPS from creating its own natural product which is the basic building protein. The glyphosate binds to EPSPS and breaks its structure. It also hinders the the EPSPS from fulfilling its normal function, which can cause cell death.
In the short term, glyphosate could cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and skin irritation. In extreme instances exposure to glyphosate may cause death. The herbicide is used on a range of crops such as soybeans, corn oilseeds, grains, and certain fruits and vegetables. Rainwater and surface runoff may also contain glyphosate. Because of its widespread use consumers consume a lot of tiny amounts of glyphosate.
Asbestos
Railroad workers are exposed an array of hazardous substances, including diesel fumes, benzene, asbestos, coal dust, silica and creosote. These carcinogens may cause cancer, lung disease and other health problems. Federal law grants the current, former and retired rail workers the right sue their employers when they are diagnosed with a medical issue caused by their work-related exposures.
For a long time asbestos was a significant component of the railroad industry. A lot of railroad workers were exposed to this dangerous substance. A skilled asbestos exposure lawyer for railroads can review your workplace records as well as medical documents to determine whether you developed mesothelioma or another illness as a result of work exposure.
A conductor on the train filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern over Hodgkin lymphoma, alleging Norfolk Southern did not protect him from exposure to harmful chemicals. The lawsuit claims the railroad company has violated FELA safety regulations by failing to eliminate asbestos and other harmful materials, as well as not ensuring that workers are exposed to toxic chemicals.
The lawsuit asserts that the duties of a train conductor involved operating and directing railroad machinery. The lawsuit also claims that the railroad used weedkillers to maintain right-of-way areas that exposed workers to glyphosate - a toxic herbicide known to cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma along with other illnesses. A jury gave the plaintiff one million dollars in damages for compensation.
Secondhand Smoke
Many railroad employees have been diagnosed with cancer and other chronic illnesses as a result of the toxic chemicals they were exposed to on a daily basis. Railroad workers who suffer from cancer or other illnesses due to their exposure carcinogenic substances may file lawsuits under FELA against their former employers.
For instance a man from Pennsylvania who worked as railroad workers filed an action 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 frequently exposed to asbestos, vinylchloride, and other harmful substances while working for various railroad companies in the Philadelphia region.
Another railroad worker filed a lawsuit alleging that his job as a railroad worker was a contributing factor to lung cancer and other serious illnesses. He worked for CSX Transportation, Inc. for 20 years as a laborer. During this time, he was exposed to toxins like diesel exhaust and secondhand smoke. He also dealt with railroad ties that were coated with a chemical called Creosote.
Although the risks of secondhand smoke were widely known for years, some railroads were slow to adopt smoking bans in the cabs of locomotives. railroad class action lawsuit has been linked to many cancers and other serious health problems, including asthma, bronchitis, heart and lung diseases.