Toxic Chemical Exposure Lawsuit

The industrial revolution and the growth of the American economy depended on railroads to move goods around the country at an unprecedented pace. Even to this day, it is a rare factory or retailer that does not rely on the railroads to move their products from place to place. Unfortunately, many of these railroad jobs expose workers to toxic or hazardous chemicals. Either as an expected result of working with hazardous materials or as the result of accidents, toxic chemical exposure is a prominent risk associated with the railroad business. Those at risk include workers at railroads, railways, mines, steel mills, chemical plants, oil refineries, power plants, shipyards, textile plants, and demolition sites. Fortunately, a knowledgeable attorney could help with filing a toxic chemical exposure lawsuit.

If you or a loved one have been exposed to hazardous material while working on the railroad, a dangerous chemicals lawyer could help you seek compensation. They could gather evidence, speak to medical professionals and find the correlation between the exposure and your health conditions. A skilled railroad injury attorney could prove negligence in court and help you hold railroad companies accountable in court.

Pursuing Claims for Damages Due to Chemical Exposure

Railroad workers are in a unique position among many employees. Unlike most workers who enjoy the protection provided by workers’ compensation laws, railroad employees must directly sue their employers in a federal court to collect damages that result from an on-the-job injury.

According to the Federal Employers Liability Act of 1908, United States District Courts have the jurisdiction to hear complaints alleging that a worker suffered an injury while performing their job for a railroad. However, just because an injury happened while on the job does not mean that a company is liable.

Instead, the plaintiff’s hazardous chemicals attorney must prove that an employer’s negligence caused their injuries. In the case of a toxic chemical exposure lawsuit, this may include:

• Improper training in the handling of hazardous chemicals
• A failure to provide proper safety equipment
• A lack of preventative maintenance that resulted in an accident
• The required use of known hazardous materials to perform day-to-day work
• A failure to provide prompt contact with emergency care after an injury

An experienced hazardous chemical exposure lawyer could help injured or ill employees to pursue claims against their negligent railroad employers.

How a Railroad Worker is Exposed to Dangerous Substances

Working for a railroad remains a labor-intensive profession. Even with the aid of modern technology, many of the tasks on the railroad still require muscle power. The necessary proximity to one’s work could leave these employees vulnerable to toxic substances that could cause severe health problems. Railroad employees may be exposed to substances such as asbestos, diesel fumes and exhaust, coal dust, sand dust (silica), and the fumes from solvents and welding.

Exposure to toxic chemicals can result in serious health defects, especially when that exposure has occurred over a sustained period. Railroad workers and other employees in occupations that expose them to such toxic material throughout their course of employment can develop medical conditions such as cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and more. These are debilitating and often life-threatening conditions that can lead to undeserved suffering, financial ruin, and premature death.

Perhaps the most vulnerable are general laborers working on a maintenance of way crew. These workers, responsible for the general maintenance of the rails, could face exposure to many hazardous substances such as weedkillers, Round-Up, creosote, and other chemicals used to treat rails or ties.

Workers employed in train maintenance shops also face serious exposure to hazardous substances. Welders may inhale toxic fumes from the process of joining metals, and general repair workers may face exposure to cleaning solvents used to treat tarnished metal or wood. In short, because railroad work still involves hand-maintenance of industrial components, this could expose many workers to serious danger. A tenacious toxic chemicals attorney could help these employees to find the causal relationship between their current health problems to their time working for a railroad company, in order to construct a lawsuit for chemical exposure.

Let an Experienced Toxic Chemical Exposure Attorney Help

If you or someone you know has been harmed through toxic chemical exposure while on the job, you should seek experienced legal representation. At Doran & Murphy, PLLC, we have been fighting for the rights of the injured for two decades. Each chemical exposure attorney at our firm has developed an extensive understanding of the laws and legal strategies required to help you achieve the most value for your claim or lawsuit. We can review and evaluate your situation to determine the legal implications involved and advise you on how we can best assist you.

A railroad injury lawyer could help you to pursue compensation for your injuries. They can work to connect your health problems to toxic chemical exposure while working for the railroad. They can then use the proper federal laws to demand compensation from your negligent employer in a toxic chemical exposure lawsuit.

Contact a chemical exposure lawyer at the firm if you have been harmed by hazardous substances due to the negligence of another today.