Mesothelioma is a horrible form of terminal cancer associated only with asbestos exposure, and just like in the regular work place it has affected railroad workers throughout the United States. Mesothelioma affects the pleural lining of the lung, and once it is diagnosed, there is no cure. Railroad workers that worked with or who were simply in the vicinity of asbestos products, on locomotive engines, and around a myriad of other products have been stricken with mesothelioma cancer. I have previously written an article about some of the crafts that have been affected or who have contracted cancers or mesothelioma on the railroads.
How did railroad workers contract mesothelioma? Every medical and scientific study has concluded that even one asbestos fiber lodging into the lung lining can lead to this terminal cancer, which means that a railroad worker could contract this disease and never have even seen a trace of asbestos dust in the air. Railroad workers have contracted mesothelioma where the railroad worker and the family had to struggle to even discover where the workplace asbestos exposure came from and only expert studies and careful investigations by lawyers have determined what the source of the asbestos was.
To learn more about asbestos and mesothelioma cancer affecting railroad workers, please read the following articles:
Our personal injury lawyers have represented a railroad clerk/secretary whose family had no idea where she was exposed to asbestos except for the possibility of her work in a railroad passenger terminal. Careful investigation and Freedom of Information Act requests determined that the terminal had asbestos insulation all over the facility which was later removed, decades after our client last worked at the facility.
Our injury law firm has represented locomotive engineers who we determined were exposed to asbestos by working on steam and diesel locomotives laden with asbestos. We have obtained large numbers of internal documents from Norfolk Southern, CSX, and other railroads indicating, not only the awareness of the dangers of asbestos, but organized operations to remove and abate the asbestos from railroad locomotive engines, buildings and other workplaces. While defending asbestos disease cases arguing that the asbestos was either nonexistent or not dangerous, contractors were retained who only got near the areas in high tech spacesuits.
One fascinating aspect of studying the railroad handling of asbestos in the work place is that the railroads, when removing asbestos, usually carefully followed federal laws relating to the handling of asbestos. The same railroads never told the rank and file railroad workers working in those same areas around the asbestos that it was even there, workers were never provided any protection against the dangerous asbestos, and when they contracted an asbestos cancer or mesothelioma the same railroads denied it had anything to do with where the railroad workers worked. Scorched earth defense tactics are the railroad’s norm when sued.
Our law firm’s lawyers are active in the America Association for Justice Railroad Section and we have handled many cases against railroads relating to asbestos diseases, asbestos cancers, and the terrible cancer known as mesothelioma. If we can help you or a family member or if you desire a free consultation please visit our law firm website and/or call us toll free at
Comments for this article are closed.