3 Ways The Railroad Lawsuit Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Can Affect Your Life

railroad workers cancer lawsuit Caused by Railroad Work

Under FELA, railroad workers can bring lawsuits to seek compensation for their injuries. To be successful, the person who was injured will have to prove the railroad was negligent in causing injury.

The evidence in the trial included the testimony of toxicologist who utilized various studies and relative risk factors to establish Harris's myeloma was caused by his exposure to diesel exhaust.

mesothelioma lung cancer lawsuit is associated with various hematopoietic cancers that include Acute Myeloid Leukemia(AML), Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukemia(ANLL) and Multiple Myeloma. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, benzene is a Group 1 Carcinogen. This chemical is found in diesel fumes and railway workers are regularly exposed to it.

Additionally, some railroad workers are also exposed to benzene from cleaning products like Safety-Kleen and CRC. These types of cleaning agents typically contain a type of benzene called methylbenzene. The methylbenzene can be converted into dioxin, a chemical when it comes into contact with water. Dioxins can cause lung cancer as well as other serious health problems.

Parker Waichman has successfully represented numerous railroad employees in personal injury claims against their employers under FELA. For example, a jury awarded a former Chicago and North Western Railroad worker $7.5 million for his diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia after years of exposure to chemicals and solvents on the job.

In another case, a plaintiff was diagnosed with multiple lymphoma following many years of work as a railway maintenance technician for signals. The plaintiff claimed that his condition was caused by exposure to diesel exhaust, as well as the benzene that he was exposed to during his job. Prior to the beginning of trial, BNSF filed a motion for summary judgment based on the notion that plaintiff should have known that his cancer was related to the exposure to chemicals and environmental hazards while working for the railroad.

Creosote Exposure

A toxic chemical used to preserve wood creosote has been linked to several cancers, including scrotal and skin cancer. Railroad workers who were involved in the maintenance and repair of railway ties can be exposed to this substance. The National Toxicology Program reported that workers who handled creosote had a higher risk than the general population of developing fatal forms of cancer.

A recent court case where a railroad worker who was diagnosed with myeloma, alleges his exposure to diesel exhaust as well as other environmental hazards caused the cancer. The court decided that the plaintiff knew of the potential harm he could suffer because of his job as a railroad worker and could have learned about his injury through an extensive internet search before the diagnosis came in. Since he did not take this step, his action is time-barred.

In a different instance, the railroad won a defense verdict in a case filed in Philadelphia County by a former railroad worker. The plaintiff claimed he was diagnosed with bladder cancer due to the exposure he had to secondhand smoke and other chemicals such as creosote and diesel exhaust.

Parker Waichman has also obtained defense verdicts for cases involving other types of cancers, like prostate and lung cancer. These cases were brought by former railroad workers who claimed their cancers had been resulted from a lifetime exposure to toxic chemicals at work. The firm is ready to review the facts of your case and explain your options.

Asbestos Exposure

Railroad employees can be exposed to asbestos during their employment. Workers are exposed to asbestos when they handle railroad ties, repair or install railway equipment or work on railroad tie. Asbestos exposure can result in mesothelioma, lung cancer, as well as other ailments.

In a case filed against CSX Transportation, plaintiff Ronald K. Harris alleges that he contracted multiple myeloma because from his work for the railroad. According to the lawsuit, Harris worked for CSX Transportation at its Laredo rail yard on a regular basis. In the process Harris breathed in "harmful, toxic chemicals, agents, fumes, particles, and substances which include but not including diesel exhaust creosote, welding fumes, carbon monoxide, phenols, dioxins and heavy metals."





We successfully represented our client in a two-week jury trial in which it was alleged that repetitive stretching, lifting and twisting during the course of work caused herniated lumbar disks and a 25% permanent disability that resulted in a loss of wages as well as suffering and pain. The railroad was not found to be negligent, and the plaintiff received a modest award.

Environmental Exposure

Railroad workers are exposed various environmental chemicals. Based on the type of work performed, this exposure can lead to numerous health problems, including multiple myeloma. Contact Parker Waichman if you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with myeloma due to working on railroads.

In lung cancer lawsuit from smoking , railroad workers received $7.5 million from a jury following his diagnosis with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia. He sued two major railroads, claiming that exposure to diesel exhaust and asbestos caused health issues for him.

However the railroads filed a summary judgement motion, arguing that the plaintiff was aware of the essential facts and potential reasons for his injury at the time of his diagnosis. The court ruled in favor of the railroads' motion concluding that plaintiff failed to conduct a reasonable inquiry into whether the health condition was related to his work at the railroad.

The plaintiff gave evidence from an industrial hygienist as well as epidemiologists. The expert witnesses claimed that Harris's myeloma was the result of his exposure to diesel exhaust. To prove this assertion, the expert witness referenced numerous studies that demonstrated an association between certain types of cancer and diesel exhaust. There is no credible scientist, however has ever claimed that diesel exhaust to be the cause of multiple myeloma.