When workers who are employed by the railroad go to work, they don’t expect to be exposed to harmful toxins that can cause cancer.

Railroad worker cancer is a real risk for those men and women who work at the railroad each day.

The hydrocarbon Benzene is present in many industrial emissions such as exhaust from motor vehicles as well as the fumes of diesel fuel that is present at railroads.

Benzene is present in petroleum products and is a known carcinogen. The American Petroleum Institute stated in 1948 that it is generally considered that the only absolutely safe concentration for benzene is zero.”

The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) classifies this chemical as a human carcinogen.

For railroad workers, Benzene is produced in the form of fumes of diesel fuel which is inhaled in dangerous amounts by railroad workers across the nation.

Railroad worker cancer can allegedly be caused by inhaling these fumes.

Railroad Worker Cancer Risks

Benzene is also in solvents that are used to degrease locomotives. It can be a cause of railroad worker cancer either by absorption through the skin or by inhalation.

In addition to the DHHS, the International Agency for Research on Cancer as well as the Environmental Protection Agency both consider Benzene to be a carcinogen.

In the past it was assumed that Benzene produced lung cancers similar to how asbestos causes cancer.

However, it has more recently been found that Benzene fumes and exposure can cause other forms of railroad worker cancer such as bladder, colon, kidney, esophageal, lung, multiple myeloma, naso-pharyngeal, bone, bone marrow and leukemia.

Even exposure to Creosote as a railroad worker can be a cause of railroad worker cancer such as skin cancer and scrotum cancer.

Exposure to chemical solvents may cause chronic toxic encephalopathy and other brain diseases. Toxic encephalopathy is a neurologic disorder when exposed to neurotoxins.

Railroad companies who have been responsible for providing a safe work environment for their railroad workers may be in violation of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). These companies may also be responsible for types of railroad worker cancer.

A railroad worker who was diagnosed with cancer may think the cancer was caused by something unrelated to employment environment, but it is possible that the railroad worker cancer may be because of hazardous chemicals exposure on the job.

FELA allows employees who worked in such unsafe environments to seek financial compensation, and such lawsuits do not require out-of-pocket costs on the part of the railroad worker.

If you or your loved one were diagnosed with cancer or another serious illness and worked on the railroad for more than five years, you may be qualify to file railroad worker cancer lawsuit. Learn more by filling out the FREE form on this page.