Norfolk Western Railroad Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos Cancer Lawyer

Investigating Norfolk Western Railroad Injury Claims

The Lyon Firm is investigating Norfolk Western asbestos claims for former employees nationwide. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer after working at Norfolk Western, contact an attorney to review your case.

Asbestos was regularly used in the manufacturing of railway and locomotive components into the 1970s. Because asbestos was used on railroads and train cars, railroad workers who handled installations and repairs were likely exposed to asbestos.

Norfolk Western workers were widely exposed to asbestos in sealing cement and gaskets. Maintenance workers faced risk of asbestos exposure while maintaining and repairing railroad tracks and the plumbing, electrical and air-conditioning and heating systems in carriages.

Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can be lodged in the lungs and cause mesothelioma and other cancers. Occupational lung disease and health experts say there is no safe type of asbestos and no safe level of exposure.

Contact The Lyon Firm if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer following employment at Norfolk Western or another railroad company location infested with toxic building materials. Companies have a duty to protect their workers, and are liable for compensating them for injuries or illnesses sustained on their premises.

Railroad Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was first utilized in the early 1900s for its insulating abilities, fireproof properties, and versatility. Heavy industries like Norfolk Western have used it in strengthening cement and plastics, as well as in insulation in piping and boilers, and fireproofing. It has been estimated that over 30 million tons of asbestos was used in the American economy in industrial yards, homes, schools, shipyards, and other workplaces. Thus, asbestos exposure was widespread.

The railroad industry widely used asbestos in brake shoes, and construction firms have used it in roofing tiles, floor tiles, paints, and adhesives.

With all these uses, thousands of workers were regularly exposed to the toxic material and risked developing terrible diseases like mesothelioma and adenocarcinoma lung cancer.

Norfolk Western Asbestos Exposure

There are professions that are more associated with asbestos exposure than others, generally because of the materials used in a job or where the position was located. Occupations most likely to present an occupational exposure include:

• Plumbers & Pipefitters
• Auto Mechanics
• Electricians
• Maintenance Crews
• Welders
• Machine operators

The Mechanics of Asbestos Exposure

The natural breakdown of asbestos products and subsequent sawing or cutting of the asbestos creates dust and fibers that are inhaled and can lead to mesothelioma and other severe forms of lung cancer. Unlike some other ingested toxins which may be flushed from the body over time, asbestos fibers usually remain embedded in the lungs.

When asbestos fibers are released into the air, they can be trapped in the lungs and cause scarring and inflammation.

Secondary exposure is also possible through fibers traveling on a Norfolk Western worker’s clothing. Due to health concerns, all new uses of asbestos were banned in July 1989.

Frequency of Asbestos Related Illness

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) all consider asbestos a known carcinogen.

Each year hundreds of men and women are diagnosed with lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis and mesothelioma—asbestos-related illnesses potentially due to past asbestos exposure. The vast majority of those who develop lung cancer and mesothelioma worked in an environment where asbestos was present.

Workplaces overseen by Norfolk Western may have been filled with toxic materials, and employers may have failed to warn of the serious health risks of the job. Examples of Asbestos related illness include:

• Angiosarcoma
• Mesothelioma Cancer
• Asbestosis
• Lung Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer
• Adenocarcinoma
• Pulmonary Fibrosis

Adenocarcinoma Lung Cancer & Asbestos Exposure

Although adenocarcinoma lung cancer is associated with smoking, studies indicate exposure to asbestos may cause this form of deadly cancer. Inhaling asbestos fibers at the workplace over months or years put individuals at high risk for developing adenocarcinoma lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. In terms of duration or dose, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.