Benzene & The Shipping Industry

One industry where individuals may not be aware that they are at risk for benzene exposure is in the shipping and transport industry. Individuals that work in these industries handle thousands of different products during the course of their employment and in many cases, may not even know exactly what they are transporting other than the name of the product. Because such a large amount of products passes through this industry on a regular basis, many individuals may not realize that they have been exposed to high concentrations of benzene until they develop benzene related complications.

Individuals that drive the trucks to transport chemicals that contain benzene are at an increased risk of developing complications related to long term benzene exposure. This is because the benzene is released in the fumes of these chemicals, often in significant concentrations. Any individual that is exposed to these fumes for a long period of time, such as the driver of the truck that is transporting the chemical, will be breathing in these fumes and accumulating benzene in the body. Although the benzene is eventually eliminated from the body, the damage that it has caused remains.

Because the drivers of the trucks containing the chemicals often do not believe themselves to be at risk, either because they are in a different area of the truck or they believe that the air flow is sufficient to move the benzene fumes away from their face, they typically do not take any precautions to limit their benzene exposure. The damage caused by the benzene in their bodies slowly increases until they begin to experience the symptoms of a benzene related complication. Once the symptoms of one of these benzene-related conditions appear, it is usually too late to do anything other than manage the symptoms for as long as they possibly can.

The drivers are not the only workers in this industry that are at risk for long term benzene exposure and the related complications. Individuals that work at loading or unloading the shipping containers are also at risk. These individuals come into close contact with the products and chemicals containing benzene on a regular basis and are much closer to the source of the benzene fumes than the individuals driving the trucks. This means that the individuals that are unloading the shipping containers may be breathing in a much higher concentration of benzene while they are on the job.

Do I have a Benzene Lawsuit?

The Toxic Tort Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in Benzene lawsuits. We are handling individual and group litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Benzene cases in all 50 states.

If you or a loved one have been exposed to Benzene and developed a form of leukemia or other blood related disease, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.