A railroad cancer claim can help railroad workers and their families obtain financial assistance if the cancer was linked to their jobs. Often, railroad workers don’t realize their cancer diagnosis may be linked to their employment.

Railroad workers are exposed to a number of toxic chemicals and fumes. One of the most dangerous chemicals found in railroad work is benzene. This colorless, flammable liquid emits a sweet odor and evaporates quickly when it enters the air.

Railroad Cancer Claims

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), people exposed to benzene for less than five years to more than 30 years have been diagnosed with leukemia, which can be fatal.

OSHA says, “Short-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and death. Long-term exposure may affect bone marrow and blood production.”

A railroad cancer claim doesn’t have to be due to only leukemia. It can be for lung cancer, or several other cancers associated with benzene exposure, including:

• 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

Creosote Exposure Can Cause Railroad Cancer

Benzene is a toxic ingredient released by burning diesel fuel. Another toxin used in railroad work is creosote. Creosote and other chemical solvents help preserve wooden railroad ties. Creosote has been linked to a possible increased risk of skin cancer, liver cancer and cancer of the scrotum, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Borates are sometimes used to treat various hard types of wood that need extra protection from hot and cold temperature ranges. Repeated exposure to chemical solvents may cause brain diseases, including chronic toxic encephalopathy.

Other Toxic Railroad Exposure

In addition to benzene and creosote, diesel fuel and diesel exhaust, railroad workers often suffer from exposure to manganese, asbestos, rock and mineral dust and fibers. On-track machines emit diesel fumes and benzene; manganese, heavy metals and chemicals are used to weld railroad tracks together. Rail cars were insulated with asbestos, which was also used on locomotive brakes.

Railroad work often is romanticized in nostalgic pictures, but the number of toxic materials workers were exposed to paints a harsher, even deadlier, reality.

Many workers completed their jobs day after day with no protective equipment. Carcinogenic materials were inhaled day after day in the form of fumes, particles, fibers and dust. Workers’ hands often were exposed to toxins as well. When full freight cars spilled over, the railroad workers were awash in whatever chemicals splashed upon them.

When a railroad cancer claim is filed, the railroad company that failed to provide a safe work environment for its employees could be found liable under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). FELA enables railroad cancer claims to be pursued for financial compensation without incurring upfront out-of-pocket costs.