Railroad Negligence and COPD
Federal Employers Liability (FELA) may offer compensation to someone who has contracted COPD because of the negligence of an employer in a railroad. This can help pay for hospital or surgical care. It also covers costs related to the loss of life or disability.
A FELA lawyer will review your situation and determine if you are eligible to claim compensation for your occupational illness.
Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos is a group of minerals. It was once used as a fire retardant and a corrosion-resistant material. When asbestos is broken down, it releases fine fibers that are inhaled. Inhaling these fibers significantly increases the chance of developing lung cancer mesothelioma (a rare type of cancer that develops in the lining that protects the lungs and organs) and asbestosis (scarring of the lung tissue).
Railroad workers were exposed asbestos when they worked at repair shops or track maintenance yards, as well as in the cabins of locomotive crews. They were also likely carry asbestos-containing materials at home. Asbestos is extremely dangerous because, when it breaks down it releases toxins which can cause serious health issues.
union pacific settlements has recently filed an action against his former employer under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). The plaintiff claimed that his COPD and asthma resulted from his time in the cabs of diesel locomotives. He also claimed that he breathed in diesel exhaust and fumes creosote and chemicals, dust, powders, dioxins, sulfur smoke, degreasing agents and phosphoe on a daily basis without protection. He was suffering from serious health problems that made it difficult to work and caused him to incur costs in the form of hospital, medical, and therapy expenses.
Diesel Exhaust
For decades railroad workers were exposed to a variety of harmful substances, including coal, solvents and diesel exhaust. Numerous studies have linked long-term exposure to these harmful fumes to lung problems and cancer.
Diesel exhaust contains a range of chemical compounds, such as particulates, hydrocarbons, as well as carbon monoxide. union pacific settlements creates ozone at ground level, which reduces visibility. Acid rain also occurs by the lake, which can damage crops. It enters the food chain via water, fish and meat. railroad back injury settlements may also cause respiratory diseases and asthma, and aggravate existing lung and heart ailments.
According to a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives published in 2007, individuals who worked in jobs requiring long exposure to diesel vapors experienced an COPD mortality rate that was 2.5 percent more than those who did not. Researchers used proportional hazards to calculate the incidence rates. They also adjusted for smoking status, calendar year, as well as years off from work to minimize bias due the effects of healthy workers on survivors.
Exposure to diesel fumes can also cause toxic encephalopathy. This condition is described as brain damage caused by small amounts or chemicals. These chemicals can be absorbed through the skin or into the bloodstream, where they move into the brain and disrupt the normal functioning of the brain. Signs of this disorder include memory loss and difficulty focus.
Tobacco Smoke
You may have been exposed to smoke while working in the railroad. Inhaling the smoke of environmental tobacco (ETS) can increase your risk of developing COPD. Smoke emitted by a person's cigarette or cigar is also included. This is referred to as passive smoking or secondhand smoke.
ETS contains toxic chemicals as particulates and gases. Its toxic brew may damage the blood vessels, heart and respiratory system. It can disrupt normal cell growth and can lead to cancers. It can cause gastrointestinal problems which include stomach ulcers as well as inflammation bowel disease. It can decrease bone density, resulting in osteoporosis. It can hinder wound healing and increase the risk of developing infections.
It can even make a pregnancy dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. Women who smoke or use products that do not contain tobacco during pregnancy are at greater risk of having pregnancies that are ectopic, which is a life-threatening situation in which the fertilized egg connects to the outside of the uterus. This can lead to miscarriage or premature birth.
Researchers discovered in a recent study that rail workers exposed to diesel fumes as well as tobacco smoke suffered significantly more COPD symptoms compared to those who didn't work on the railways. The study used data from death certificates as well as industrial hygiene surveys and multiple Imputation to determine the smoking history. This method decreases the impact of confounding variables which may have affected the results.
Misdiagnosis
After years of exposure to diesel exhaust, coal dust and other contaminants in the workplace, a lot of railroad workers are diagnosed as having Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD). These long-term exposures can damage the lungs, and many symptoms might not manifest until the late stages. railroad back injury settlements is essential, so people can receive treatment earlier that will enhance their lives and possibly extend it.
A delayed or incorrect diagnosis could affect the patient's health and cause other complications. A Philadelphia lawyer who is able to correct the wrong diagnosis can review your case and identify the medical providers who could be held responsible for mistakes. This could include physicians or nurse practitioners, physician assistants and technologists.
A recent study suggested that the guidelines for diagnosing COPD are faulty, leading in some cases to misdiagnosis. Researchers looked into medical notes and electronic health records of more than 200,000 patients. They found that doctors are overdiagnosing COPD overestimating the frequency of the disease in their patients and underestimating the severity of symptoms.
A Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) lawsuit could ensure that employers are held accountable for exposing their employees to harmful chemicals and the subsequent lung diseases, such as COPD and mesothelioma. Some of the worst consequences of exposure to work may not appear for 20-30 or 40 years, so FELA allows injured railroad workers to file a lawsuit for their injuries at the time that the statute of limitation expires.