For decades, the railroad industry has used dangerous chemicals in their products and materials that may significantly increase railroad workers cancer risk, placing them in danger.

On the job, railroad workers can be exposed to a variety of toxic chemicals, some of which have been classified as carcinogens (substances capable of causing cancer) or even banned from use in most products. Despite the ongoing railroad workers cancer risk, some current or former railroad workers may not actually be aware of this risk, and therefore unable to make the connection between their exposure to these chemicals at work and their cancer diagnosis.

Railroad Workers Cancer Risk

There are a couple of major chemicals that have been linked with elevating railroad workers cancer risk. One of these chemicals is benzene, a dangerous hydrocarbon chemical.

Benzene has been classified by a number of institutions as a known carcinogen, or a substance capable of causing cancer. Groups that consider benzene a carcinogen and thus acknowledging its ability to heighten railroad workers cancer risk include the Department of Health and Human Services, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

While the United States banned the use of benzene in most products over two decades because of this cancer risk, many products containing benzene are still used in the railroad industry today, exposing workers to substantial risk.

The railroad workers cancer risk may not only be caused by exposure to benzene. Creosote, for instance, is a chemical used to coat railroad ties, has been linked with an increased risk of skin cancer. While the average person is not around railroad ties enough to be at a serious risk from exposure, railroad workers are surrounded with these products on a daily basis and thus exposed to these carcinogens.

Railroad workers cancer risk has been linked with a number of diseases, including stomach cancer, kidney cancer, mesothelioma, leukemia, and many others.

Filing a Railroad Workers Cancer Risk Lawsuit

Many workers do not know of the railroad workers cancer risk linked with the chemicals they are or have been exposed to during their work, and are therefore unable to connect their cancer diagnosis with their work environment and exposure.

As word spreads about the link between chemical exposure on railroads with cancer, plaintiffs have begun filing lawsuits over railroad workers cancer risk. According to these lawsuits, railroad companies whose workers have been exposed to dangerous chemicals and developed cancer may be in violation of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). FELA allows such employees to seek financial compensation for their pain and suffering.

If you or someone you love may have suffered from carcinogenic chemical exposure to benzene, creosote, or another dangerous chemical as a railroad worker, you may be able to file a railroad workers cancer risk lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot reverse the damage of these substances or bring a loved one back to life, it can help to offset the financial damages often incurred by medical expenses.