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more_legal_areas felaOccupational lung disease is the number one work related illness in the United States when looking at its frequency of incidence, severity of the disease and the preventability of it. An occupational lung disease is most often caused by chronic exposure to toxic substances. Over the years, occupational lung disease lawsuits have been filed because workers alleged they were not aware of the dangers present despite the employer knowing of the health effects associated to exposure. Workplace standards have been created and updated over the years to better prevent occupational lung disease and other occupational hazards from being suffered.
Many occupational lung diseases are not curable, so preventing exposure is especially important. Measures like improving ventilation and wearing protective clothing and masks can help prevent inhalation of dangerous dusts. Arguably the most important aspect of occupational lung disease prevention is to educate workers of the risks present. The implementation of workplace standards is not as effective or as strongly enforced if workers are not aware of the consequences the dangers can cause.
There are various occupational lung diseases that have been identified over the years. The inhalation of carcinogens in the workplace has been linked to occupational lung cancer. When employees are also smokers or exposed to second-hand smoke, the additional carcinogenic exposure can drastically increase the chances of getting lung cancer. In 1994, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a rule to regulate second-hand smoke as a workplace standard after estimating it caused 2,200 to 14,000 worker deaths a year. Smoking, while having proven deadly health effects, should especially be avoided by workers that risk exposure to carcinogens on the job as well.
The occupational lung disease that has made the most headlines in recent years has been asbestosis. Asbestos, a fiber once used heavily for fireproofing and insulation, was eventually banned by the 1980s in most of its uses by the Environmental Protection Agency, but not first before exposing a high number of workers to dangerous levels of the microscopic fibers. Due to the latency period between exposure and occupational lung disease symptom onset, asbestos lawsuits have led to the over 600,000 U.S. claimants now seeking damages.
Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust that can cause lung scarring making it difficult to breath. There is no cure for silicosis, killing more than 250 Americans every year. An estimated 1.6 million workers are believed to have been exposed to silica dust, with nearly 60,000 expected to suffer from some degree of the occupational lung disease.
Other occupational lung diseases include byssinosis, or brown lung disease, which has been the cause of over 35,000 textile worker disabilities. Coal workers'' pneumoconiosis is known as black lung disease, caused by inhalation of coal dust and affecting an estimated 4.5 percent of coal miners. Even though occupational lung diseases are usually suffered after extended exposure to the toxic substances has been present, some one-time severe exposures have caused lung disease as well.
A lawsuit was recently filed by a former signal maintainer for Norfolk Southern Railway against his employer.
The suit claims the company failed to provide th...
A lawsuit was recently filed against Norfolk Southern Railway by a former employer who believes they violated the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA).
A Federal Employers'' Liability Act (FELA) suit has been filed in the U.S. District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois alleging Illinois Central Railroad (ICR) failed to provide Anthony Lynch of Clinton, Ill. with a safe place to work.
The FELA...