A growing number of former railroad workers are filing railroad FELA claims after being diagnosed with cancer, alleging that they were exposed to dangerous chemicals on the job.

According to these railroad FELA claims, railroad companies whose workers have developed cancers after being exposed to such chemicals—including creosote and benzene—may be found in violation of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA).

Many current and former railroad workers who have been diagnosed with cancer have no way of knowing that their cancer diagnosis may very well be connected with exposure to dangerous chemicals on the job. This is further exacerbated by the fact that cancer from railroad work can remain dormant for years or even decades, making the connection even more difficult. In many cases, railroad workers may not have been informed about the link between their cancer and the dangerous chemicals they worked with on a daily basis.

Cancer from Railroad Work Exposure

Working on a railroad exposes employees to a number of carcinogenic—or cancer-causing— chemicals. These dangerous chemicals include benzene and creosote, both commonly found in railroad products and both linked with a range of cancers.

Benzene is a hydrocarbon chemical, and is considered a carcinogen by a number of well-respected institutions, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Because of the known cancer risk of benzene, the use of this chemical in consumer product was actually banned in the U.S. over twenty years ago.

However, many railroad products continue to contain benzene, as does the exhaust from diesel engines. Railroad workers are surrounded by such products on a day-to-day basis, which significantly increases their risk of cancer from railroad work.

Another serious risk of cancer from railroad work is creosote, or coal tar. Creosote is used to coat railroad ties. Now, thousands of miles of railroad material is coated with creosote all across the United States. Long-term exposure to creosote such as through railroad work is known to cause skin cancer.

Common Cancer from Railroad Work

Workers may be at risk of a number of kinds of cancer from railroad work including, but not limited to, the following:

• Lung cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Colon cancer
• Scrotum cancer
• Skin cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Throat cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Mesothelioma
• Multiple myeloma
• Leukemia

Filing Railroad FELA Claims After Cancer Diagnosis

According to FELA lawsuits, railroad companies whose workers have been exposed to dangerous chemicals and developed cancer from railroad work may be in violation of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). More and more current and former railroad workers are coming forward with railroad FELA claims.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with some form of cancer from railroad work, you may be able to file your own FELA lawsuit.

While filing railroad FELA claims cannot reverse the damage of dangerous cancer or bring a loved one back to life, it can help to offset the financial damages often incurred by medical expenses and lost wages.