Ohio Railroad Cancer Law Firm

Chicago-based Hughes Law Offices serves current and former railroad employees diagnosed with cancer, leukemia, and pulmonary issues as a result of their work for the railroad.  Whether you worked in engine service, on the track, or in the shops, we will analyze your craft’s unique exposures and determine whether they contributed to causing your illness.  We handle railroad cancer lawsuits in Ohio and throughout the United States.

Chronic railroad exposures to diesel exhaust, asbestos, creosote, welding fumes, silica sand, benzene-containing solvents and degreasers, herbicides, and secondhand smoke can lead to numerous conditions, including:

Cancer:

• Lung Cancer
• Laryngeal Cancer
• Bladder Cancer
• Kidney Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer

Leukemia:

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL)
• Multiple Myeloma (MM)

Pulmonary:

• Diesel Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Reactive Airway Disease (RADS)
• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Emphysema

Neurological:

• Toxic Encephalopathy
• Parkinson’s Disease

We serve all railroad employees in crafts with historical exposures to toxins, including the following:

• Locomotive Engineer
• Brakeman/Conductor
• Track Department/Trackman
• Locomotive Machinist/Electrician/Pipefitter
• Car Department/Carman
• Bridges & Buildings

In proving up your railroad cancer lawsuit, Hughes Law Offices will take any unique exposures into account. For instance, we have served clients who described leaking underground fuel tanks, serving chemical plants and refineries, exposures from toxic freight, etc.  We will bring all of those exposures to bear in proving up your railroad cancer case.  

Class I railroads operating in Ohio include:

• BNSF Railway – BNSF operates out of North Baltimore Yard. 
• Canadian National Railway – CN operates Toledo Yard. 
• CSX Transportation – CSX’s Ohio-based yards, shops, and facilities includes June Street Yard, Queensgate Yard, Storrs Yard, Collinwood Yard, Clark Avenue Yard, Buckeye Yard, Columbus Yard, Corr Road, Parsons Yard, Needmore Yard, South Lima Yard, New River Yard, North Baltimore Intermodal Yard, Lind Yard, Stanley Yard, Walbridge Yard, and Willard Yard. CSX also formerly operated Wayne Yard, South Hamilton Yard, and Woods Yard. 
• Norfolk Southern Railway – NS’s facilities in Ohio include Bellevue Yard, Gest Street Yard, Rockport Yard, Buckeye Yard, Watkins Yard, Clare Yard, New Reeds Yard, Moraine Yard, Sharon Yard, and Air Line Yard. 

Illustrative Ohio railroad verdicts & settlements:

•  $4,508,488 verdict – Plaintiff was employed by Conrail in the signal maintenance department where he worked with railroad signals and signal houses throughout Northern and Central Ohio. He often drilled into asbestos boards and was also exposed to silica and diesel fumes that contributed to his lung cancer diagnosis shortly after he retired. (Howell v. Consolidated Rail Corp., et al)
•  $872,756 verdict – Retired locomotive engineer diagnosed with COPD, heart conditions and laryngeal cancer stemming from diesel exhaust exposure on board locomotives. Jury voted to reduce verdict by 82% for the COPD and heart condition injuries and 85% for the laryngeal cancer but the court ruled that there would be no reduction in damages where jury also found that railroad allowed diesel exhaust inside cabs of locomotives in violation of strict liability federal statute. (Shepard v. Grand Trunk W. R.R.)
• $1,750,000 verdict – Locomotive engineer worked at CSX’s Walbridge Yard for 28 years where he endured chronic exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke. The Plaintiff developed asthma which progressively worsened as the secondhand cigarette smoke exposure continued. CSX failed to enforce an indoor no smoking policy, and on two occasions heavy secondhand smoke exposures triggered asthma attacks which required emergency medical care. The Plaintiff’s asthma progressed to the point that he was rendered unable to continue any type of employment by the time he was 51-years-old. (Wilhelm v. CSX)
• $625,000 verdict – The 53-year-old Plaintiff was employed by Norfolk Southern working as a fireman and then later as a locomotive engineer. During his career the Plaintiff was chronically exposed to diesel exhaust, and he subsequently developed diesel asthma. The Plaintiff testified that (1) in the mid 90’s Norfolk initiated a policy that required locomotives be run long hood forward whenever possible which resulted in increased and unnecessary diesel exhaust exposure; (2) the crew were routinely “deadheaded” to their home terminals after their shifts i.e. they rode in the second locomotive and were exposed to diesel exhaust; and (3) that the doors of the locomotive cabs were ill–fitting and in poor condition such that they did not properly seal to prevent diesel exhaust entering the cab. The Plaintiff received a favorable verdict despite a long history of smoking. (Cutlip v. Norfolk Southern)
• $1,622,106 verdict – Locomotive conductor employed by CSX was provided a locomotive that had a defective toilet system and defective flooring which caused him to inhale caustic chemicals. He subsequently was diagnosed with reactive airway disease syndrome that prevented him from being able to return to work. By the time of trial, he was 38-years-old. (Sunnycalb v. CSX)

Hughes Law Offices is providing case histories to inform visitors about actual case fact patterns and rulings in your area. Unless specifically noted, the cases summarized herein were not handled by attorneys at Hughes Law Offices.  

If you suspect that your illness or that of a loved one could be related to railroad workplace exposures, please call 312-877-5588 to speak to a railroad cancer attorney.