More and more railroad workers are reporting being diagnosed with cancer and claim that this was caused by exposure to dangerous chemicals on the job.

Railroad companies are responsible for giving workers a safe environment to work in and the proper equipment to deal with unsafe materials, but a growing number of workers say that they have been diagnosed with cancer because of exposure to chemicals like creosote or benzene on the railroad, in violation of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA).

If you or someone you love were diagnosed with cancer after work on the railroad, you may be eligible to file railroad cancer FELA claims against your railroad company, whether you still work there or not. Many who suffer from cancer after railroad work may no longer work for a railroad company, since it can take decades from cancer to surface after this kind of exposure.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer after working on the railroad, you may be able to file railroad cancer FELA claims.

Cancer Linked With Railroad Work

Certain dangerous chemicals can be found in railroad materials, some of which are known carcinogens, or substances capable of causing cancer. This exposes railroad workers to the risk of serious and life-threatening disease, yet more and more claim that they were not adequately warned or protected against these chemicals.

One of the dangerous chemicals railroad workers may be exposed to is benzene, a known carcinogen. Benzene has been classified as a carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Benzene was connected with cancer many years ago, but many railroad materials still contain this hazardous chemical. Creosote, also known as coal tar, is another significant cancer risk found on the railroad, which has been connected with the risk of skin cancer.

A slew of cancers has been linked with exposure to chemicals on the railroad. These cancers may include, but are not limited to, the following:

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

Railroad Cancer FELA Claims

There are often years or even decades between initial exposure to these chemicals on the railroad and when a patient is actually diagnosed with cancer as a result. This can lead to a significant delay before a patient files railroad cancer FELA claims. Some may actually realize the connection, but not know that they can even file railroad cancer FELA claims in the first place.

The delay also means that a patient may be at a later stage of cancer before being diagnosed, making treatment itself more difficult.

Filing Railroad Cancer FELA Claims

If you or someone you love have suffered due to creosote or benzene exposure on the job, which has since led to cancer diagnosis, you may be able to file railroad cancer FELA claims. Those eligible to file include those who worked on the railroad for more than 5 years and have been diagnosed with cancer from 2013 through 2016.

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