Railroad Lawsuit - Exposure to Toxins Causes Emphysema and Mesothelioma
Railroad workers are exposed to many toxic toxins that can harm them due to their work. One such toxic substance is asbestos that was used to line and insulate older train cars.
Unfortunately, these hazardous substances can cause serious harm to the lung of railway workers. Our FELA lawyers help those suffering from lung diseases caused by railroads hold corporations accountable for their negligence.
Asbestos
While railroads have lost favor in terms of transportation in recent decades as more people switch to automobiles, trains play a significant role in the nation's freight network. Railroad workers have been exposed to toxins for a long time, which could negatively impact their health. Particularly our Boston asbestos exposure lawyer for railroad workers lawyers point out that railroad workers are usually at risk of developing lung diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Asbestos is a dangerous substance that can be broken into tiny, thin fibers which can be breathed into the lung. These fibers can cause serious scarring of lung tissue, which could lead to a number of serious respiratory illnesses, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.
A man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma, after 30 years of service for the railroad and filed a lawsuit against Illinois Central Railroad. The railroad allowed him to work in hazardous environments, without providing the necessary protective equipment or warnings regarding potential dangers. He claims to have inhaled diesel fumes as well as chemicals, dust and powders, along with other particles, which impacted his lungs.
This man claims that the Illinois Central Railroad did not provide him with the proper medical care, hospitalization, surgical, and therapeutic treatment for his injuries and ailments. According to his complaint the railroad breached its Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) obligation to provide its employees with a safe and secure work environment.
Diesel fumes
The fumes generated by diesel engines can have a negative impact on a railroad worker's health. In Leukemia lawsuit can cause lung diseases such as COPD. In the event that a machinist had to breathe in diesel exhaust during work the company did not provide the appropriate protective equipment. As a result, the man developed COPD and has to use oxygen tanks on a daily basis.
The Guardian reported in a recent article that in the United Kingdom, where diesel exhaust is commonly found at workplaces such as bus depots and garages there are "growing legal claims" concerning exposure to toxic diesel fumes. Diesel emissions contain large amounts of nitrogen oxides which can be harmful to people. Nitrogen oxides can irritate the eyes, nose or throat and cause symptoms that last a few minutes, such as a cough or Phlegm. The inhalation of diesel fumes can cause chest discomfort and wheezing.
In addition to diesel fumes and other pollutants, others that can be found in certain rail yard environments include creosote, chemicals, dust and powders. These toxic substances are inhaled and can cause chronic health problems like COPD or lung cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified exhausts from diesel engines as carcinogens. The agency also warns that there is evidence that exposure to diesel exhaust can increase the risk of bladder cancer among men and women.
Smoking
A railroad worker filed a claim for occupational illness recently and claims that his long-term exposure to toxic chemicals led him to develop COPD. He claims that his employer failed to provide him with the proper safety equipment that allowed him to breathe in a myriad of compounds every day. These contaminants include diesel exhaust, fumes silica, creosote, coal smoke, metal dusts sulfur dioxide, benzene chemical degreasers, dioxins and other airborne irritants.
The issue with these poisons is that they're able to penetrate deep into the lung tissue, where they cause damage, and eventually cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. This is a chronic illness that causes breathlessness wheezing and coughing that is persistent weight loss, and in certain instances, asthma.
The Federal Employers Liability Act, 45 U.S.C., provides compensation to railroad workers suffering from respiratory illnesses that result from their work. 51. This law requires railroads to provide their employees with a reasonably safe place to work.
However, Leukemia lawsuit isn't always the situation. Railroad companies are aware of the dangers they face in their job However, they fail to safeguard their workers. FELA was created to hold railroads accountable for their blunders. If you have an illness that is associated with your railroad work, contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney who has dealt with FELA cases successfully.