Minnesota Railroad Cancer Lawsuits | Diesel Exhaust Exposure

Minnesota Railroad Toxic Exposure

Minnesota railroad workers have faced acute and chronic exposure to numerous toxins at the workplace; namely exposure to diesel exhaust, welding fumes, asbestos, ballast silica dust, creosote, pesticides, solvents and benzene.

As a result of occupational toxic exposure, many railroaders across the country have fallen ill with related cancers and lung diseases such as COPD, diesel asthma, emphysema, lung cancer, AML and mesothelioma. Contact a FELA lawyer or toxic exposure attorney to begin filing the necessary claims after a confirmed occupational cancer diagnosis.

What Minnesota Railroad Workers Are at Cancer Risk?

Almost every worker in the railroad industry has faced some level of toxic exposure due to the fact that rail companies have always used heavy solvents, and other carcinogenic materials at rail yards. The diesel locomotives themselves present a serious risk with the huge amounts of diesel exhaust expelled each day in operation.

Many workers at rail yards were regularly performing tasks in poorly ventilated workshops or roundhouses, which may have been filled with toxic fumes from welding, machining, cleaning parts or building machinery. Many diesel mechanics used industrial solvents and degreasers each day, exposing themselves to high levels of benzene, which is known to cause AML and other forms of leukemia.

Pipefitters and plumbers, electricians, boiler maintenance crews and those who worked on the brake linings of trains may have been at risk of asbestos exposure, which was used in insulating some train components and in several buildings on site.

Track maintenance crews and maintenance of way workers at Minnesota railroad workplaces have been tasked with using toxic herbicides, pesticides, and handling creosote rail ties, as well as laying and moving ballast rock that could contain silica dust.

Some conductors, engineers and brakemen have been exposed to diesel fumes for much of their career, and have later developed serious medical conditions like AML and lung cancer. A number of other cancers and lung diseases have been linked in medical studies to railroad diesel exposure, including the following:

• Lung Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer
• Bladder Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Nasopharyngeal Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Kidney Cancer
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL)
• Multiple Myeloma
• Aplastic Anemia
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Emphysema
• RADS (Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome)
• Interstitial Lung Disease
• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis

Who Can File a Minnesota Railroad Cancer Lawsuit?

Families and individuals who spent years working for a Minnesota Railroad company or large railway corporation like CSX, CPKC, Union Pacific, BNSF, Canadian Pacific or Progressive Rail, and later falls ill with an occupational cancer or injury, can elect to take legal action.

It is critical to hire an experienced FELA attorney and railroad cancer lawyer as soon as you learn of a medical issue related to work at a rail yard. Collect your medical records and work history documentation and contact our diesel exposure lawyers as soon as possible.

What Kind of Settlement Can Railroad Workers Expect?

An experienced Minnesota railroad cancer lawyer can negotiate on your behalf and may be able to recover the following damages for you and your loved ones:

• Lost Wages: When a worker is forced to leave their job due to an injury or illness suffered at the workplace, they require full compensation for lost wages in the past, present and future. Our firm also seeks damages for new job training should you not be able to return to the workplace in the same capacity.
• Medical Expenses: All work injury and occupational illness-related hospital bills, medications, treatments, consultations, and rehabilitation programs can be covered if your health insurance will not pay the full amount due.
• Non-material Damages: We seek compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, reduced quality of life, and loss of companionship in some cases.

Which Minnesota Rail Yards Present Cancer Risks for Workers?

• Dilworth: Dilworth Yard
• Duluth: Proctor Yard
• Duluth: Rice’s Point Yard
• Minneapolis: Humboldt Yard
• Minneapolis: Northtown Yard
• Minneapolis: Shoreham Yards
• Northfield: Northfield Yard
• Ranier: Ranier Yard
• Paul: Midway Yard (Minnesota Commercial)
• Paul: Pig’s Eye Yard
• Paul: Hoffman Yard
• Shakopee: Valley Park Yard
• South St. Paul: South St. Paul Yard
• Virginia: Virginia Yard
• Waseca: Waseca Yard