A Georgia woman says her late husband’s cancer after railroad work was the result of negligence on Amtrak’s part.

Plaintiff Anne W. has filed this railroad cancer lawsuit on behalf of the estate of her late husband Willie W. She claims Amtrak is liable for Willie’s cancer after railroad work under the Federal Employers Liability Act, or FELA.

Anne alleges that Willie worked as an onboard service attendant for Amtrak between 1973 and 2007. She says Willie was exposed “to excessive and harmful amounts of toxic substances, including diesel exhaust and/or asbestos,” throughout his decades-long railroad career.

She says she learned within three years prior to filing this FELA lawsuit that her late husband’s “pancreatic cancer was caused or contributed to by the negligence of the defendant.”

Anne’s railroad cancer lawsuit claims Amtrak was negligent and failed to provide a safe working environment for Willie. She states that Amtrak failed “to minimize or eliminate the plaintiff’s decedent’s exposure to diesel exhaust and/ or asbestos.”

Exposure to these carcinogens led to Willie’s cancer after railroad work, she claims. Willie eventually developed pancreatic cancer and died from that illness in October 2014, Anne says.

In addition to her FELA claims, Anne is also raising claims for survival action and wrongful death. Anne is seeking damages in excess of $50,000. She also requests a trial by jury.

Railroad Worker Cancer Risks

Working on a railroad puts workers at risk for a number of chronic diseases by exposing them to an array of dangerous chemicals. Railroad workers may encounter carcinogens like benzene and asbestos on a regular basis throughout their careers.

Railroad workers are exposed to the hazardous and dangerous chemical substance known as benzene. It is currently categorized as a deadly carcinogen. Benzene shows up in diesel exhaust and in the creosote used as a wood preservative in railroad ties.

Benzene has been banned from consumer products in the United States. It still has some permitted industrial applications, however.

Pancreatic cancer is one among many types of cancer that could be linked to railroad work. Other such cancers include bladder cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, kidney cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, throat cancer, and leukemia.

By the time cancer after railroad work develops, workers who develop it may not realize the connection between the disease and their on-the-job exposure. Some of these kinds of railroad cancer don’t develop until many years after exposure. Asbestos-related diseases, for example, may not be diagnosed until decades after exposure.

Late-developing diseases may be related to railroad work just as much as an on-the-job injury. Both diseases and injuries can make the worker’s employer liable under FELA. FELA serves a purpose similar to that of state worker’s comp for employees of railroads.

The legal details are much different, however. A consultation with a knowledgeable FELA attorney can give a worker a good idea of their legal rights and options.