Diesel Fumes

Considered a public health crisis by some state regulatory agencies and environmental activists , groups believe stronger regulations and restrictions should be placed on the transportation industry to reduce the amount of diesel fumes. For workers in the transportation industry like railroad workers, constant exposure to diesel fumes has been argued to increase the risk of developing adverse health conditions like lung cancer, ischemic heart conditions, asthma and other respiratory illnesses. In 2002, medical experts testified in a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Corp. that a railroad employee had contracted asthma from inhaling diesel fumes while working as a locomotive engineer.

The first case of its kind in the country, the diesel fumes lawsuit was the first successful claim that found diesel fumes caused asthma. Suing under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA ), the case argued that the railroad company failed to make any improvements to reduce the possibility of diesel fumes entering the cabs. FELA was enacted by Congress in 1908 and is used for civil lawsuits for injuries resulting from a railroad's negligence, as in the case of health effects suffered because of exposure to diesel fumes.

Please contact us to confer with a FELA attorney and find out if your legal rights and options regarding exposure to diesel fumes at the workplace.

Learn more about other types of railroad injuries and dangers:

• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis
• Benzene
• Creosote
• Chemical Solvent
• Silicosis
• Carpal Tunnel
• Diesel Fumes
• Lung Cancer, Lung Disease, Lung Injury
• Ballast: Injury to Feet, Ankles, Legs, Spine
• Ballast: Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
• Back Injuries
• Hearing Loss