Dupo Yard Toxic Exposure | Railroad Diesel Cancer Lawsuits

Railroad Cancer Lawyers

Union Pacific Railroad has employed tens of thousands of workers over the years at various work sites and rail yards. Many of these former workers, including some at the Dupo, Illinois, Dupo Intermodal Terminal, have developed cancers possibly related to diesel exhaust exposure and other occupational toxic exposures.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), OSHA, NIOSH and other health safety agencies in the United States have repeatedly warned employers and workers in high-risk environments of the health hazards of diesel exhaust exposure. Many railroad employees at the Dupo Yard and other Union Pacific rail yards are in such high-risk work environments.

Past Dupo Intermodal terminal workers have reported frequently inhaling diesel fumes, asbestos, solvents, fuels, welding fumes, silica, and creosote. A daily assault on the body with toxic materials can take its toll, and can be the primary cause of a cancer or lung disease. The following conditions have been linked to chronic diesel exhaust exposure:

• Lung 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
• Multiple Myeloma
• Aplastic Anemia
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Emphysema
• RADS (Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome)
• Interstitial Lung Disease
• Pulmonary Fibrosis

Authorities have stressed that although chronic exposure is more risky in the long run, even a small amount of occupational diesel exposure can cause long-term health conditions.

Former Dupo terminal workers suffering from an illness or cancer linked to workplace toxic exposure may be entitled to significant compensation for their losses. Contact a toxic exposure lawyer at (513) 381-2333 to begin reviewing a work injury claims.

What Do Diesel Cancer Settlements Include?

Each case is unique and a full case review will determine what damages you may claim. A lot will depend on your confirmed diagnosis, your level of disability, your incurred medical costs and your ability to work in the future. Some past railroad cancer settlements have included the following:

• The reimbursement for past medical bills and the full coverage of future healthcare costs related to an occupational illness
• Any costs of future medicine, operations and cancer treatments
• Medical bills that your health insurance will not cover
• Related physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Lost wages may be sought when a worker misses months or years of work due to an injury or illness that is linked to the workplace
• Loss of future earnings when an individual is disabled to the point of being unable to return to the workforce in the same capacity
• Pain and suffering costs
• Reduced quality of life
• Wrongful Death

About the UP Dupo Yard

The Union Pacific Dupo Intermodal Terminal is located just outside St. Louis in Dupo, IL. The rail yard has access to Interstate 255 and Illinois Route 3, and services 13 originating intermodal trains per week to and from Dallas, Los Angeles and Seattle. The Dupo Yard services coal-fired utilities in Southern Illinois and Kentucky.

For over 150 years, Union Pacific has been integral in the freight industry in the United States, and still operates more than 32,000 miles of track in 23 western states.

Union Pacific operates 31 different intermodal ramps nationwide, including the intermodal terminal in Dupo.

Who is Responsible for My Injury?

If an injury occurred at the Dupo Yard, or you fell ill years after initial exposure at a specific rail yard, contact our attorneys to investigate. We can review your work history and can determine what directly caused an illness or occupational cancer. We can hold any negligent employer accountable for the harm they contributed to.

Plaintiffs claims that railroad companies could have prevented a number of cancer risks by providing a safe workplace for employees, warned workers of the health risks, and offered training about the hazards of diesel exhaust and other toxic materials at Union Pacific work sites.

Railroad workers can seek protection under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) and may have additional Workers’ compensation claims. But further legal action may be necessary for victims to get compensated for all the damages. Victims should contact a railroad cancer attorney at (513) 381-2333.

Which Dupo Yard Workers Are at Cancer Risk?

Essentially any worker at a rail yard in the past hundred years has been exposed to a number of chemicals and toxins that can harm the health with regular exposure. There have been numerous cases of exposure to asbestos, diesel exhaust, welding fumes, creosote, silica, industrial solvents and toxic degreasers. Workers who have worked in the field often complained about the constant odor of diesel and other fumes that penetrate their clothing and sink into their hair and skin.

Railroad mechanics and machinists have filed many work injury claims after working in poorly ventilated roundhouses and rail shops. Engineers and conductors have been continually exposed to fumes in their cabs that fail to have a perfect ventilation system.

Other staff who worked around diesel locomotives and toxic materials can file a cancer claim, and our lawyers have been successful in proving that a work history in the rail industry directly caused an illness.