Railroad Lawsuit - Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Railroad workers are exposed diverse carcinogenic substances like diesel exhaust fumes. This can lead to various illnesses that include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
A lawyer who specializes in railroad cancer can help you determine whether your cancer is caused by workplace exposures, and then seek compensation for medical expenses and discomfort and pain.
Benzene
Benzene is one of the world's most common chemical compounds. It is a clear, colorless yellow liquid with a sweet scent that evaporates quickly into the air. It is used as a dye solvent, degreaser plastics, lubricant and resins. It is also present naturally in crude oil. Long-term exposure to benzene can damage bone marrow and cause leukemia as well as other blood-related diseases. It can also trigger heartbeat irregularities and convulsions and liver diseases and reduce fertility.
Railroad workers are at a higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic disorder and multiple myeloma as a result of their exposure to benzene. This is especially the case for those who worked around or on locomotives in the railroad shop where they may be exposed to diesel exhaust. If they were exposed coal tar creosote which is a wood preservative, may be at risk of benzene exposure as well.
The personal representative of a BNSF employee who died from leukemia filed a number of lawsuits, including eight in 2018. The plaintiff worked for the railway company for a long time. She worked for 33 years as a hostler at a yard in Alliance, Nebraska. She was exposed to diesel exhaust and other toxic chemical when working on vehicles trains, locomotives and rail ties. She also dealt with benzene-based chemicals such as Liquid Wrench as a solvent to break bolts.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate, a popular herbicide, is used by railroad workers to eradicate weeds on tracks and around stations. However exposure to this chemical can be hazardous and can cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as other serious health problems. If you have been exposed to the chemical glyphosate and later developed non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, an railroad accident lawyer can help you seek compensation from the business who wronged you.
The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified glyphosate as a likely carcinogen. The chemical works by targeting a protein in plants called shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS). This blocks EPSPS from producing its own natural product, which is a building block of proteins. The glyphosate bonds to the EPSPS, destroying its structure. It also blocks the EPSPS's normal functions, which could lead to cell death.
In the short-term, glyphosate can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and skin irritation. In extreme instances exposure to glyphosate might cause death. The herbicide is employed on a variety of crops that include soybeans, corn, oilseeds, grains and some vegetables and fruits. Rainwater and surface runoff can also contain glyphosate. Due to its extensive use, trace amounts of glyphosate are regularly consumed by people.
Asbestos
Railroad workers are exposed to a variety of hazardous substances, including diesel fumes and asbestos. Carcinogens can cause lung cancer, cancer and other health issues. Federal law permits the current, former, and retired rail employees to sue their employers when they're diagnosed with medical issues related to their work-related exposures.
union pacific railroad lawsuits played a key role in the railroad industry for a long time and many railroad workers suffered from exposure to this hazardous material. A lawyer for asbestos exposure in the railroad industry could examine your medical and work records to determine if you developed mesothelioma, or another illness as a result of on-the-job asbestos exposure.
A train conductor has filed an action against Norfolk Southern over Hodgkin lymphoma, alleging Norfolk Southern did not protect him from exposure to harmful chemicals. The lawsuit claims that the railroad company infringed FELA regulations by failing to protect workers from asbestos and other harmful materials and also failing to monitor worker exposure to hazardous chemical.
The lawsuit states that the job of a train conductor involved operating and directing railroad machinery. The suit also alleges that the railroad used weedkillers 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 as well as other diseases. A jury awarded the plaintiff one million dollars in compensation damages.
Secondhand Smoke
Many railroad employees have been diagnosed with cancer and other chronic illnesses because of the toxic chemicals they were exposed daily. Under FELA, railroad employees who are suffering from cancer or other ailments caused by exposure to carcinogenic substances can bring lawsuits against their former employers.
A man from Pennsylvania who was a railroad worker who filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania against his former employers alleging that his kidneys developed cancer as because of being exposed to carcinogens during a period of almost 40 years. He claimed he was regularly exposed to asbestos, vinylchloride and other harmful substances while working for various railroads in the Philadelphia region.
Another railroad worker filed a lawsuit alleging that his job as a railroad worker contributed to lung cancer and other serious illnesses. He worked for CSX Transportation, Inc. for 20 years as a worker and was exposed to toxic substances such as diesel exhaust and secondhand smoke. He also worked with railroad ties which were coated with a chemical known as creosote.
Despite the dangers of secondhand smoking being recognized for decades, some railroads took some time to stop smoking in locomotive cabs. Secondhand smoke exposure has been linked to a variety of diseases and cancers including bronchitis and asthma.