Why No One Cares About Railroad Settlement Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Railroad Negligence and COPD

Someone who has contracted COPD due to negligence of a railroad company may be eligible for compensation under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). This could be used to pay for hospital or surgical care. Also, it covers expenses related to loss of life or disability.

A FELA lawyer will review your case and determine whether you are qualified to submit a claim for occupational illness.

Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos is a class of minerals that were once used for its fire-resisting, corrosion-resistant and insulating properties. When asbestos is broken down, it releases microscopic thin fibers that are inhaled. Inhaling these fibers increases the chance of developing lung carcinoma mesothelioma, asbestosis and mesothelioma.





Railroad workers were exposed to asbestos while working in repair shops, track maintenance yards and in locomotive crew cabins. It was also possible that they would bring asbestos-containing materials with them home. Asbestos is extremely dangerous since it releases toxins when it breaks down. These toxins can lead to serious health problems.

A railroad conductor filed a lawsuit under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) against his former employer. The plaintiff claimed that his years spent in the cabs of diesel locomotives triggered his debilitating asthma and COPD. He also claimed to have inhaled diesel exhaust and fumes creosote, chemicals dust, powders, dioxins, sulfur smoke, degreasing agents, and phosphoe every day, without protection. He was suffering from serious health issues that made it difficult to work and caused him to incur expenses in the form medical, hospital, and other therapeutic costs.

Diesel Exhaust

For decades, railroad workers were exposed toxic substances such as solvents, coal and diesel exhaust. Numerous studies have linked lung problems and cancer with exposure to long-term exposure.

Diesel exhaust contains a variety of chemical compounds, such as particulates, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. It also produces ground-level Ozone that decreases visibility. Acid rain is also produced by the lake, which can damage crops. It gets into the food chain through fish, water and meat. It can also trigger respiratory illness and asthma as well as worsen heart and lung conditions.

According to a study that was published in Environmental Health Perspectives, individuals who were employed in jobs that required long-term exposure to diesel fumes were found to have an 2.5 percent higher COPD mortality rate than those who did not work in these occupations. The researchers employed proportional risk models to estimate rates of incidence and adjusted for smoking status as well as calendar year and time off from work to reduce bias due to the healthy worker survivor effect.

Exposure to diesel fumes could cause toxic encephalopathy. This condition is characterized as brain damage triggered by tiny amounts of chemicals. These chemicals can be absorbed by the skin or into the bloodstream, where they travel to the brain and interfere with the normal functioning of the brain. Memory loss and difficulty concentrating are the symptoms of this condition.

pancreatic cancer caused by railroad how to get a settlement from tobacco

You might have been exposed to smoke while working in the railroad. Inhaling the smoke of environmental tobacco (ETS) can increase the risk of developing COPD. This includes not only smoking your own cigarettes but also inhaling smoke from other person's cigar, cigarette or pipe. This is referred to as passive smoking or secondhand smoke.

ETS contains toxic chemicals as gases and particulates. The poisonous brew may harm the respiratory system, heart and blood vessels. It may interfere with normal cell growth and lead to cancers. It can lead to digestive issues, including stomach ulcers and inflammatory colon disease. It can cause osteoporosis by the reduction of bone density. It may also hinder wound healing and increase the risk of developing infections.

It could cause a pregnancy to be dangerous for the mother as well as the fetus. Women who smoke or use tobacco-free products during pregnancy have greater risk of having pregnancies with ectopic births, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the fertilized egg attaches to the uterus's exterior. This can lead to premature birth or miscarriage.

In a study that was conducted recently, researchers found that rail workers who were exposed to diesel exhaust and tobacco smoke had significantly more COPD symptoms than those who didn't work on railways. The study utilized death certificates, industrial hygiene surveys and multiple Imputation to model smoking history. This method reduces the effect of confounding factors that may have influenced the results.

The wrong diagnosis

After years of exposure to diesel exhaust, coal dust and other contaminants at work, many railroad workers are diagnosed as having obstructive lung disease (COPD). Long-term exposures can harm the lungs, and many of the symptoms might not be apparent until the final stages of the condition. Accurate diagnosis is vital, so people can receive treatment earlier that will improve their quality of life and even extend it.

A delayed or incorrect diagnosis can deteriorate a patient's health and result in other complications. A Philadelphia lawyer who is able to correct a wrong diagnosis can investigate your case and pinpoint medical providers who may be held liable for malpractice. These include doctors, nurse practitioner, physician assistants, and technologists.

Recent research suggests that the guidelines for diagnosing COPD could be faulty that could lead to misdiagnosis for some cases. Researchers examined electronic medical records and clinical notes of more than 200 000 patients. They discovered that doctors are not properly diagnosing COPD overestimating the frequency of the disease in their patients, and underestimating the severity of symptoms.

Federal Employers Liability Act lawsuits could hold employers accountable for exposing their employees toxic chemicals that cause lung diseases like COPD and Mesothelioma. FELA allows railroad workers who are injured to sue after the statute of limitations runs out.