Non-Smoker Lung Cancer for Railroad Workers

Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer in the United States. However, according to a recent study done by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 12% of people with newly diagnosed lung cancer never smoked cigarettes. So why do so many non-smokers get lung cancer? Oftentimes, non-smoker railroad workers develop lung cancer because of exposure to hazardous substances that are well-established carcinogens (cancer-causing substances), specifically second-hand tobacco smoke, asbestos, diesel exhaust, silica, and radon. Many studies have shown that railroad workers in particular suffer from a higher incidence of lung cancer as a result of railroad workplace exposures even if they have never smoked.

If you are a railroad worker, the best way to reduce the risk of developing lung cancer is to minimize exposure to these carcinogens. Unfortunately for railroad retirees it is too late, as they experienced these exposures years ago and often times over the course of several decades.

Common Carcinogens Found at Railyards

For almost 25 years, Doran and Murphy PLLC has represented many non-smoking railroad workers and railroad retirees who have developed lung cancer and other types of cancer as a result of exposure to substances commonly encountered in the railroad workplace. While some of our clients smoked cigarettes in the past, a surprisingly large number of clients never smoked cigarettes. However, all of these workers had exposures to one or more of the following substances:

Second Hand Tobacco Smoke
Asbestos
Diesel Exhaust
Silica / Ballast Dust

These exposures, even if they occurred long ago, place railroad workers and retirees at a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer in the future.

Seek Legal Counsel If You are a Non-Smoker Who Developed Lung Cancer After Working on a Railroad

Non-smoker lung cancer for railroad workers is an unfortunate reality of being exposed to carcinogens in the workplace. If you have been affected by this, call Doran and Murphy PLLC today.