Multiple Myeloma Lawsuit Settlement: A Simple Definition

Multiple myeloma cancer Myeloma Railroad Lawsuit

Talk to an experienced Chicago FELA lawyer when you are a railroad worker and have been diagnosed as having a blood cancer, such as multiple myeloma. Our attorneys can help fight for compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and suffering and pain.

The plaintiff's experts stated that diesel exhaust was the cause of Harris myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma. There is no credible scientist who has stated that claim in any published study, monograph or textbook.

Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals

Many different chemicals can be found in the workplace, such as benzene. It is a byproduct of crude oil, and is used in a variety of products, including paints, diesel exhaust and resins, plastics dyes, rubbers, detergents as well as pesticides and drugs. Exposure to benzene is associated with an increased risk of multiple myeloma and leukemia.

Workers who have been exposed to benzene or other toxic chemicals during their jobs as railroad workers may be eligible for compensation from their employers under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). To be able to claim compensation under FELA the plaintiff must demonstrate that their railroad work was at the very least partially responsible for their cancer diagnosis or other disease.

Our attorneys successfully secured two separate cases in which former railroad employees filed lawsuits against their employers, claiming that they developed leukemia as a result exposure to various chemicals at work. In both cases the Court granted summary judgment in favor of the railroad defendants. The lawsuits were dismissed. The Court in both cases concluded that the expert's testimony failed to meet the requirements for a qualified expert's testimony under Rule 702 and Daubert. In each case the expert was unable to conduct his own tests, observations, or measurements to enable him to prove his opinions and conclusions. In both cases we were able to prove that railroad workers had released their right to sue for injuries or ailments under FELA by signing prior releases.

Exposure to Diesel Exhaust

The work environment at railroad facilities involves exposure to chemicals like benzene as well as materials such as creosote and diesel exhaust. Over time, these risks can increase the risk of certain chronic diseases for railroad workers.

Benzene is present in diesel and gasoline fuel as well as other exhausts from automobiles. It is also used to manufacture specific products like paints and thinners. It has been linked to numerous illnesses, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as well as myelodysplastic disorder (MDS) and multiple myeloma.

The exposure to benzene may be caused through breathing in the vapors of solvent baths that are used in many shops in the railroad industry. These solvents were utilized by railroad workers to clean tools and equipment. Benzene is a potent carcinogen and an important risk factor for Multiple myeloma railroad lawsuits myeloma.

Numerous studies have linked occupational exposure to diesel exhaust with an increased chance of developing lung cancer. The World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency have labeled diesel particulate matter as a well-known human carcinogen.

Plaintiffs have sought damages for a variety of ailments under FELA. In a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania by Plaintiff counsel, the defendant's client was believed to have developed lung cancer because of his job as a railroad yard machinist between 1976 to 2007. The defense won an unconclusive verdict from the jury. medical causation.

Exposure to Creosote

Creosote, a collection of carbonaceous chemicals, is produced by the distillation, pyrolysis, and combustion of various wood preservatives and tars. The most commonly used variety is the coal-tar creosote that is a greenish brown liquid with different degrees of viscosity, darkness, and fluorescence. If inhaled or absorbed by the body, it's toxic. Typical symptoms include irritation of the eyes, mouth and the throat, as well as stomach. Acute exposure can result in chemical burns to the skin and lungs. Creosote which is inflammable, is the primary cause of chimney fires.

Railroad workers used creosote for treating tuberculosis from the end of the 19th century until more safe and more effective treatments were found. This included a mixture of creosote and eucalyptus oils that was administered via vaporizor and an inhaler. This treatment was used until 1910, when it was replaced with more effective and less invasive methods.

Plaintiff claimed that her multiple myeloma was been caused by exposure to degreasing solvents and creosote while working on railroads. We argued that she could not prove medical reasons for her illness and the Court agreed. A summary judgment was entered in favor of the Railroad Defendants. Plaintiff's own expert claimed that her illness was caused by diesel exhaust but the Court concluded that he failed to meet the requirements of Daubert and Rule 702 and his opinions were inadmissible. We also presented the testimony of an industrial health expert and an oncologist who disagreed with the plaintiff's expert.

Exposure to Asbestos

In a lot of its operations, the railroad industry relies heavily on asbestos. Asbestos fibers are extremely toxic and hazardous when inhaled. When inhaled, asbestos fibres can cause mesothelioma. This is a rare and fatal cancer that affects the membrane lining of most organs.

Exposure to asbestos could cause Multiple myeloma lawsuit settlement myeloma in certain instances. Asbestos was used to protect steam locomotives and it is possible that the inhalation of asbestos during railway work caused mesothelioma.

Railroad workers are often exposed to other dangerous chemicals like creosote and benzene. Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon. It can trigger chemical pneumonitis in certain people. Exposure to benzene may also increase the risk of developing multiple myeloma.

Herbicides are employed by a lot of railroad employees in order to keep the railroad's right-of way free of weeds and brush. Herbicides may cause a significant amount of exposure to chemicals. Exposure to herbicides may increase the risk of developing multiple myeloma some individuals.

A jury returned an unanimous defense verdict on behalf of the railroad in this matter, which was litigated in the Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Plaintiff alleged that he contracted multiple myeloma due to exposure to the exhaust of diesel engines and Multiple Myeloma benzene in the course of his employment at three different railroads. Expert testimony was provided by both plaintiff's and defense expert witness, a industrial hygienist.