For workers in industries like oil manufacturing and automotive repair, the risk of exposure to dangerous levels of benzene is high, as the chemical has been linked to many types of cancer.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one got cancer or had serious side effects from benzene exposure, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit and our lawyers can help.
What’s the Problem?
The negative effects of benzene, a chemical used in dozens of common products, have been well-documented for over a century. By the 1960s, it had been established that benzene exposure was linked to numerous potentially fatal illnesses, including:
- Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
- Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Myelofibrosis and Myeloid Metaplasia
- Aplastic Anemia
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
- Hairy Cell Leukemia
- Multiple Myeloma
- Thrombocytopenic Purpura
- Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
- Hematologic Cancers
- Bladder Cancer
- and more
How Do I Know if my Injury was Caused by Benzene?
If you developed any of the above injuries after being exposed to benzene on the job or at home, you should seek immediate medical treatment. Your doctor will first look at your patient history and symptoms, followed possibly by an X-ray, CT or CAT scan, MRI, and eventually a biopsy if symptoms indicate that this is necessary.
Correct identification of both the cause of your illness and the illness itself will allow you to determine the best course of treatment.
Symptoms of Benzene Exposure
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Headaches
- Tremors
- Confusion
- Unconsciousness
- Death (at very high levels)
Railroad Workers Exposed to Benzene
The likelihood of developing severe health conditions increases with the time spent around sources of benzene, and railroad workers who have endured years or even decades of chemical solvent exposure are especially susceptible to the effects of the carcinogen.
If you are or were a railroad employee and have been diagnosed with any of the complications listed above, you may be entitled to damages under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). This law states that railroad workers can hold their employers responsible for work-related railroad injuries. Individuals who qualify may be eligible to receive compensation to assist with medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Read More: Benzene Exposure Lawsuit Update
Benzene Lawsuit Settlements
- November 2015 - A jury in Dallas, Texas, awarded $8.2 million in damages to a man who developed acute myelogenous leukemia after being exposed to benzene in paint and paint thinners at his job for more than 20 years.
- February 2016 - A Philadelphia jury ruled that a man’s development of AML was caused by a company’s defective benzene. The jury awarded $824,000 to the plaintiff.
- April 2016 - Complaint filed by an Alabama woman whose husband died from complications of acute myelogenous leukemia. The deceased had been a painter for over 40 years, with high exposures to benzene-containing materials for much of that time.
- June 2016 - An Iowa jury awarded $3.52 million to a woman who lost her husband due to myeloid leukemia as a result of exposure to long-term occupational exposure to benzene at his job.
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Do I Have a New Orleans Benzene Lawsuit?
The Workplace and Environmental Litigation Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in benzene lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as across the U.S., and are currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
Free Case Evaluation: Again, if you were diagnosed with cancer after being exposed to benzene, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.
