A railroad worker cancer lawsuit investigation is looking for persons who developed cancer after railroad work.

Through their employment, many railroad workers are exposed to a dangerous chemical known as benzene, which is a known carcinogen. However, many workers do not even realize that their cancer development may be linked to their line of work.

Although benzene has been tightly restricted in the United States for more than 20 years, many railroad workers may still be exposed to the dangerous chemical through products that still contain it. Additionally, the burning of fossil fuels also releases dangerous forms of benzene into the air and environment, leading railroad workers to inhale the highly toxic chemical. Over time, this can lead to the development of cancer after railroad work. 

Some cancers that have been linked to the dangerous chemical include:

• Esophageal Cancer
• Kidney Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Mesothelioma
• Bladder Cancer
• Colon Cancer
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Multiple Myeloma
• Rectal Cancer
• Laryngeal Cancer
• Leukemia
• Throat Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Other Cancers

Cancer After Railroad Work Risks

The Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) can provide compensation for railroad workers who developed cancer after railroad work. The FELA allows employees to file lawsuits against their employers for injuries and diseases incurred on the job, including the development of cancer after railroad work.

A FELA lawsuit may be filed through a state or federal court. Through a FELA lawsuit, a railroad worker may recover damages such as the loss of earnings and compensation for pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses, and reduced earning potential.

FELA protections cover any railroad taking part in the interstate transportation of goods and people. Railroad companies are required to frequently check the railroad conditions and ensure the safety of the workplace. Under FELA, railroad companies are required to provide proper training to all staff, provide adequate supervision, provide railroad workers sufficient assistance and help as necessary, enforce safety rules and regulations, and provide employers safe methods to perform railroad tasks.

A railroad company is required to provide a safe environment to work. They are required to exercise reasonable care, including inhibiting a railroad worker’s risk for developing cancer after railroad work. Railroad companies must provide reasonably safe roadbeds, tools, cars, machinery, rail tracks, locomotives, and maintain the safety of tools used by railroad workers in their line of work.

Additionally, railroad companies are required to safeguard employees from exposure to carcinogens that may cause cancer such as benzene, creosote, and chemical solvents. In fact, there is evidence that creosote causes cancer of the scrotum and skin cancer. Exposure to chemical solvents may cause some brain diseases and chronic toxic encephalopathy.

Under the FELA, common law defenses are often inapplicable. For example, common-law defenses that an employee “assumed the risk” of injury does not apply under FELA. Moreover, contributory negligence as a common-law defense cannot completely inhibit an employee from recovering injuries but simply reduce total recovery. Protections provided by FELA also require a railroad worker to only have to show a slight connection between a company’s negligence and their alleged injuries to establish causation.