Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern Railway employees exposed to asbestos

Over the years, Norfolk Southern Railway has been using numerous types of railroad equipment, locomotives, and train cars that were manufactured with asbestos. Perhaps the most dangerous source of asbestos was the insulating materials found in steam locomotives. Inevitably, employees who had to maintain and repair these locomotives were exposed to asbestos, and because they had to perform these tasks regularly, they are now at high risk of developing a serious disease as a result of occupational toxic exposure.

It is worthy of note that steam locomotives were used in the United States from the 1940s to the 1960s. They were loaded with asbestos, which could be found not only on the outside of the engine but also under the metal shell and inside the cab of the engine. The layer of asbestos on the outside of locomotives was referred to as lagging. Most of the insulation blankets used for this purpose on the locomotives of Norfolk Southern Railway were bought by the company from the notorious Johns-Manville. Furthermore, asbestos insulation was used to cover the firebox and the boiler inside the locomotives.

The following occupational groups have a high risk of developing a disease as a result of asbestos exposure that occurred while working at Norfolk Southern Railway:

• boiler workers
• electricians
• steamfitters and pipefitters
• railroad workers
• mechanics
• engineers

To make matters worse in terms of the extent of asbestos exposure, it was found that the cabooses on the trains contained asbestos insulation as well, particularly in the ceiling and stovepipes. Railroads, including Norfolk Southern Railway, featured cabooses well into the 1970s. Lastly, asbestos was also present in diesel locomotives, although the company argues that it was not. The engines of the locomotives would have asbestos gaskets too. It was not until the 1990s that Norfolk Southern Railway took measures to eliminate the threat of asbestos exposure for its workers.

Secondary asbestos exposure, a serious concern for the family members of Norfolk Southern Railway workers

Secondary asbestos exposure occurs when a person breathes in or swallows toxic fibers from indirect sources, unlike employees of companies that use the mineral, who come in direct contact with it. The families of Norfolk Southern Railway were at high risk of secondary asbestos exposure. Because employees were not required to wear protective equipment or to change their clothes when their shift ended, they would come home with asbestos fibers on their clothes. Upon hugging the worker, his children and wife would unavoidably inhale and ingest asbestos fibers.

Moreover, when shaking out his work clothes before laundering, the woman would be exposed to asbestos even more and her risk of developing a related disease increased. Today, roughly 8% of victims of asbestos exposure are women, and a considerable part of them was secondarily exposed to the mineral. If you developed a disease stemming from secondary asbestos exposure, you should contact our law firm, as we specialize in toxic exposure and will be able to help you recover compensation for your suffering.

Legal assistance in wrongful death asbestos exposure cases for family members

A wrongful death claim is the only option the family members of a person that passed away due to a disease related to occupational asbestos exposure has to recover compensation. Since many victims of asbestos exposure refuse to take legal action during their lifetime, either because they are too ill or because they think the legal process would be a long and challenging one, family members have the option to recover financial compensation on behalf of their deceased loved one.

For over 25 years, our attorneys and legal team have been dedicated to offering quality assistance to people whose health was deteriorated by toxic agents, as well as to their surviving family members. All you have to do if you decided to file a wrongful death claim is to send our legal experts the employment records and the medical records of your lost family member and their death certificate.