The serious health risks associated with inhaling asbestos fibers have been documented in medical and scientific publications. Workers who breath in these toxic asbestos fibers are at risk of developing an incurable form of cancer known as mesothelioma. This is a type of cancer that infiltrates the lining of the lung or a individual’s abdomen.
By in large, mesothelioma in humans is caused by exposure to asbestos. A myriad of government agencies have concluded that all of the asbestos fiber types, including chrysotile, are capable of causing mesothelioma in railroad workers. And mesothelioma does not discriminate based on the railroad you work for. Whether you work for CSX, Norfolk Southern, Amtrak, Burlington Northern, and so on, railroad workers are at risk of being diagnosed to mesothelioma if they have been exposed to asbestos.
There are two main fiber types of asbestos: serpentines and amphiboles. Serpentines appear in chrysotile, a form of asbestos used commercially. Amphiboles include commercial fiber types amosite, crocidolite, and tremolite. Unfortunately, chrysotile asbestos is still used across the globe so many workers, to this day, are being exposed to these hazardous fibers and may wind up dying later in life as a result. Why? Because asbestos exposure does not routinely lead to an immediate development of mesothelioma. It can be years before a railroad worker (e.g., conductor, switchman, brakeman, engineer, etc.) is diagnosed with mesothelioma.
For more information about asbestos exposure and its connection to mesothelioma, check out these articles, which were written by experienced railroad worker injury/FELA lawyers: