Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia include: 

• CSX Transportation – CSX operates out of Fulton Yard and Berkley Yard.  
• Norfolk Southern Railway – NS operates Lambert’s Point Yard, Portlock Yard, Berkley Yard, and Roanoke Terminal. 

Illustrative Virginia railroad verdicts & settlements:

• $5,000,000 verdict – Plaintiff worked at Norfolk Southern’s car repair shop at Lampert’s Point Yard between 1979 and 1990 changing out asbestos-containing brake shoes. He was also exposed to other asbestos products such as pipe insulation. Plaintiff developed pulmonary fibrosis as a result of his exposures. The judgment was reduced by 80% to $1,000,000 to account for the Plaintiff’s long history of smoking. (Fowlkes v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co.)
• $300,000 settlement – Former railroad machinist was employed by Norfolk Southern Railway for 31 years before being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at the age of 70. During his time with the railroad, he endured chronic exposures to petroleum solvents which he used on a daily basis in the locomotive shop. The Plaintiff produced Norfolk Southern records of meetings between railroad officials in which the use of benzene and the knowledge of its hazardous nature were discussed as early as the 1960s. (Booker v. Norfolk Southern)

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.