Railroad Lawsuit - Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Railroad workers are exposed various carcinogenic substances, including diesel exhaust fumes. This can lead to various diseases, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
A lawyer from the railroad industry can help you determine if your cancer is caused by exposure to work, and also seek compensation for medical expenses and discomfort and pain.
Benzene
Benzene is among the most well-known chemical compounds. It is a clear or pale yellow liquid with a sweet odor and evaporates quickly into the air. It is used as a dye, degreaser, solvent, pesticide, lubricant, plastics, and resins. It is also naturally present in crude oil. Long-term exposure to the chemical can affect bone marrow and cause leukemia, in addition to other blood-related illnesses. It can also cause heartbeat and convulsions, and liver diseases and decrease fertility.
Railroad workers are at a higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic disease and multiple myeloma due to their exposure to benzene. This is especially the case for those who work on or around locomotives in the shop of a railroad where they may have been exposed to diesel exhaust. Anyone exposed to coal tar creosote, which is a wood preservative, may be at risk of exposure to benzene as well.
The personal representative of the BNSF employee who died of leukemia filed 27 lawsuits, with eight in 2018. The plaintiff worked for the railway company for decades. She was hostler at a yard in Alliance, Nebraska for 33 years. She was exposed to diesel exhaust and other toxic chemicals when working on vehicles railway ties, locomotives, and cars. She also worked with benzene-based chemicals such as Liquid Wrench as an oil-based solvent for breaking bolts.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is a popular herbicide employed by railroad workers to eliminate weeds and other plants on the tracks and around train stations. However, exposure to this chemical can be hazardous and can cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other serious health issues. If you've been exposed to glyphosate, and you developed non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a railroad accident lawyer can assist you to seek compensation from the company who wronged you.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has classified glyphosate a probable cancerous substance. The chemical works by targeting a protein in plants called shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS). This stops EPSPS from producing its own natural product, which is a building block of proteins. The glyphosate is then bound to the EPSPS and shatters its structure. It also prevents the EPSPS's normal functions, which could lead to cell death.
In the short-term, glyphosate could have negative effects like nausea vomiting, diarrhea skin irritation and eye irritation. In extreme instances exposure to glyphosate may cause death. The herbicide is extensively used on a broad range of crops, including soy beans, corn, and grains. Rainwater and surface runoff may also contain glyphosate. Because of its widespread use consumers consume a lot of small amounts of glyphosate.
Asbestos
Railroad workers are exposed many dangerous substances, such as diesel fumes, benzene, asbestos, coal dust silica, and creosote. Carcinogens can cause cancer, lung disease and other health problems. Federal law provides retired, former and current rail workers the right file a lawsuit against their employers if they are diagnosed with a medical issue related to their exposure on the job.
Asbestos played a major role in the railroad industry for many years and many railroad workers suffered from exposure to this toxic material. A knowledgeable railroad asbestos exposure lawyer can look over your work records and medical documents to determine whether you have developed mesothelioma or other illnesses due to job exposure.
A train conductor has filed a lawsuit in the United America against Norfolk Southern for Hodgkin's lymphoma. He claims that the company failed to safeguard his health from harmful chemicals. The lawsuit alleges that Norfolk Southern violated FELA regulations by not properly assessing asbestos and other hazardous materials as well as failing to monitor worker exposure to hazardous chemical.
The lawsuit says the job of a train conductor was handling and operating railroad equipment. The lawsuit also claims that railroads used weedkillers in order to keep right-of-way spaces in order that exposed workers to the herbicide glyphosate which is toxic. It is that is known to cause non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and other illnesses. A jury gave the plaintiff one million dollars in damages for compensation.
Second-Hand Smoke
A large number of railroad employees have been diagnosed with cancer and other chronic illnesses due to the toxic chemicals they were exposed daily. Under FELA, railroad employees who are suffering from cancer or other ailments caused by their exposure to carcinogenic substances can pursue lawsuits against their former employers.
For Leukemia lawsuit , a man from Pennsylvania who was a railroad worker filed a lawsuit against his former employers, claiming that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer as a result of being exposed to carcinogens over the course of nearly 40 years. He claimed that he was constantly exposed to vinylchloride, asbestos, and other harmful substances while working for various railroad companies in the Philadelphia region.
Another railroad worker who filed a lawsuit claimed his job as a railroad employee contributed to the development of lung cancer as well as other serious health issues. 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 handled railroad ties which were coated with a chemical known as creosote.
Despite the dangers of smoking secondhand being known for decades, some railroads took several years to prohibit smoking in the cabs of locomotives. Smoking secondhand has been linked to a variety of illnesses, including cancers and serious health issues including asthma and bronchitis.