By Randy Appleton, FELA Lawyer

A great deal of attention has been paid to railroad workers and their exposure to asbestos being connected to an eventual diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer. Have no doubt, the horrific effects of mesothelioma on the human body are terrible, but it is not the sole health problem railroaders should be concerned about. Exposure to benzene in diesel fumes can cause very serious side effects, even could lead to the development of leukemia.

The Department of Health of Human Services classifies benzene as a human carcinogen and it is a prominent chemical found in diesel exhaust fumes. Railroaders are exposed to these fumes on a daily basis.

How dangerous are diesel exhaust fumes? Well, researchers monitored 10 male volunteers who spent an hour in a room filled either with clean air or exhaust from a diesel engine. The exhaust-filled room was set to mimic the highest level that people might encounter in the environment or at work. These volunteers were connected to an electroencephalograph (EEG) to monitor the brain’s electrical signals during exposure and for the hour afterwards. Within just 30 minutes, the participants in the exhaust room showed signs of stress on the EEG, indicating a change in the way the brain processes information, according to CBC News.

Now imagine being exposed to the same fumes for eight hours a day, five days a week, for 20 to 40 years. That’s what many railroaders deal with and we’re starting to see the consequences. In addition to leukemia, there have been reports of individuals suffering tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

What should a railroader diagnosed with leukemia, or another life-threatening disease, who suspects diesel fume exposure played a role do? Consulting with a railroad injury attorney is recommended. Since leukemia and other diesel fume-related diseases may not develop for years after exposure, the railroad company defense attorneys usually try to allege that it wasn’t your exposure to these fumes while working for the railroad, but some other reason you developed the disease.

Our law firm has experience handling these types of cases. For example, our firm represented a railroad conductor who worked for a major railroad for over 30 years and claimed to have suffered lung disease including diesel fume asthma as a result of prolonged exposure to diesel fumes. Our client was exposed to these fumes while riding in a railroad locomotive engine that allows diesel fumes to get into the engine cab area.

Our law firm used a major body of medical and scientific evidence to suggest that diesel fumes, if inhaled over prolonged periods of time, may lead to a variety of health conditions including diesel fume asthma, airways disease, reactive airways disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as higher rates of lung and other cancers. As a result, our firm was able to reach a substantial settlement for our client.

We can’t guarantee substantial settlements for every railroad client, but we can guarantee that speaking with a railroad injury attorney than listening solely to the railroad defense lawyers and trying to work out a settlement on your own. Give our office a call for a free, no-hassle consultation at 757-460-7776.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is an injury law firm with a long history of representing hundreds of railroad workers in FELA/ railroad injury cases. Check out our railroad injury case results to see for yourself. Our offices are in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) and Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our lawyers hold licenses in VA, NC, SC, WV, KY and DC and have handled railroad injury and FELA cases throughout the eastern U.S.  We would like to send you one of our FREE reports about railroad injury and FELA cases, including Do’s and Don’ts When Injured at a Railroad – The Railroad Worker’s FELA Rights and What Railroad Claim Agents Won’t Tell You (But You Must Know). We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042 before giving any statement or talking to a railroad claims agent. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly moderate the Yardlimits Railroad Community Forum and donate to the Fallen Brother Fund.   PA