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more_legal_areas felaOccupational pneumoconiosis is caused by the inhalation of mineral dusts in the lungs, which can result in pulmonary fibrosis and other parenchymal changes. Often times, occupational pneumoconiosis will not have immediate symptoms so a worker will continue being exposed to harmful toxins without realizing its harmful and potentially deadly effects. As occupational pneumoconiosis progresses, the advanced disease can lead to permanent disability and/or early death.
Some of the well-known cases of occupational pneumoconiosis include coal workers'' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, asbestosis, mixed dust pneumoconiosis, graphitosis and talcosis. These specific types of occupational pneumoconiosis have no effective treatments, though they can be prevented. Over the years, the number of deaths associated to occupational pneumoconiosis has declined because of greater awareness and workplace safety standards. Still, the incidence of occupational pneumoconiosis can be reduced even more, with better education and awareness of the dangers, prevention methods and symptom recognition.
Many cases of occupational pneumoconiosis have been able to progress to later stages of the disease because of the inability to properly recognize and diagnose occupational illnesses. Increasing awareness should not be aimed for just the workers directly exposed to the risks of occupational pneumoconiosis but among physicians and public health agencies as well. The actual incidence of occupational pneumoconiosis is believed greatly underestimated due to misdiagnosis.
From 1968 to 2000, pneumoconiosis was recorded on 124,846 death certificates. This number was a decline of 36 percent when compared to 1968 to 1981, but certain types of occupational pneumoconiosis increased. For example, the incidence of asbestosis increased nearly 400 percent. Asbestosis is a type of occupational pneumoconiosis that occurs when inhalation of asbestos fibers invisible to the eye has occurred for long durations of time, though health effects can be suffered from limited exposure to asbestos as well.
People believe the increase in awareness of the occupational pneumoconiosis disease asbestosis have made easier diagnoses, which has in part contributed to the escalating number of cases seen. The escalating number of asbestos-related diagnoses has also been attributed to the long latency period of 10 to 50 years that can exist. Occurrence of asbestos-related diseases like the occupational pneumoconiosis asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer will be responsible for 10,000 U.S. deaths in the next decade, according to some study estimates, or accounting for 30 deaths per day. The high estimates continue to stress the necessity of immediate implementation of more awareness programs to curb occupational pneumoconiosis diagnoses in the future.
Occupational pneumoconiosis has led to high amounts of litigation, with former and current workers alleging dangerous working conditions led to potentially deadly diseases. Survivors of occupational pneumoconiosis have also filed lawsuits over the years. Asbestos-related lawsuits have alleged companies were aware of the dangerous health effects it could cause but failed to alert workers.
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.
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