Asbestos is a naturally occurring heat and fire resistant material that was widely used in industry during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  Asbestos has been used in numerous products over the years, including insulation, brake pads, rope, cement products, high temperature gaskets, ceiling tiles, adhesives, packing materials, and much more.

The railroad industry used asbestos for several applications including, but not limited to, insulation of pipes and boilers, locomotive and rail car brake shoes, high temperature gaskets, and heat shields on cabooses.  Railroad employees were commonly exposed to asbestos products when they installed, removed, renovated, and inspected them. Even railroad employees who did not directly handle asbestos were exposed to asbestos dust. When asbestos fibers are disturbed, tiny harmful particles are released into the air and inhaled by anyone in the general area.

Exposure to asbestos, in any form, can have devastating health effects. Those who are exposed over a long period of time to significant amounts of asbestos are at high risk of developing asbestos related diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. Other diseases that have been associated with exposure to asbestos include cancer of the digestive tract, colon, larynx, esophagus and kidneys.  It can take as many as 40 years after exposure for the effects of asbestos to become apparent with outward symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain.

Working with or around asbestos significantly increases the risk of developing some of the serious medical conditions mentioned above. Not only are those who work around asbestos or products that contain asbestos at risk, their families are also. Immediate families are exposed to asbestos through their contact with the clothing, skin, and hair of the person directly exposed, increasing their risk of developing an asbestos related disease as well.

Doran & Murphy has represented hundreds of railroad workers and their families in cases for asbestos-related cancer and mesothelioma.  The attorneys of Doran & Murphy have extensive experience in these types of cases which ensures that our clients get the most value for their cases.

To view the knowledge timeline of the railroad industry’s culpability, click here.
References:

“Asbestos Ban and Phase Out.” Asbestos. 2008. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 17 June. 2008. http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ban.html.

“Asbestos Exposure: Questions and Answers.” Cancer Topics. 2008. National Cancer Institute. 17 June. 2008. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos

“Asbestos-FactSheet.” Asbestos. 2002. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 17 June. 2008. http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_AsbestosFacts/asbestos-factsheet.pdf

“ATSDR – Asbestos Hompage.” Asbestos Exposure and Your Health. 2007. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. 18 June. 2008. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/Asbestos/