Pulmonary Fibrosis Caused by Railroad - How to Get a Settlement
A lawsuit won't alleviate your pain or suffering and will not bring back a loved one. However the Federal Employers Liability Act may be able to hold railroads accountable. Railroads who were aware of asbestos lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, and mesothelioma dangers but did not do anything about it could be held liable.
A successful FELA claim requires an accurate diagnosis and a detailed work history. An experienced attorney can help with these issues.
What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?
The lung disease pulmonary fibrosis creates scar tissue in the lungs. The scar tissue can make breathing difficult because it affects the connective tissues that connect the tiny air sacs in the lung (alveoli). It also blocks oxygen flow from the alveoli to the bloodstream during inhalation. The lack of oxygen, combined with stiff, hardened tissue, can trigger symptoms like shortness of breath, especially during exercise or work out.
The symptoms may change depending on the individual. People with pulmonary fibroids have mild symptoms which slowly worsen over time. Other people experience more severe symptoms that become worse in a short time.
The condition can also make you more vulnerable to infections due to the immune system of your body weaker. Therefore, it is essential to be active and keep in touch with your vaccinations.
The only way to slow the progression of pulmonaryfibrosis is with certain treatments. There is no cure for it, but they can improve your quality-of-life. These include the pirfenidone (Esbriet) and nintedanib (Ofev) medications that can slow lung damage. Other treatment options include oxygen therapy or pulmonary rehabilitation as well as lung transplant surgery. Doran and Murphy PLLC represents railroad workers who have suffered from pulmonary fibrosis as a result of exposure to dust and fumes during their work. This includes asbestos, silica and metal dust and fumes from welding and cutting steel rail.
What causes pulmonary Fibrosis?
Pulmonary Fibrosis is a form of scarring that affects the lungs. It causes damage to lung tissues, which reduces oxygen in the bloodstream.
This condition develops over time and the symptoms worsen as the scarring gets more severe. Although it's not reverseable with treatment, you can increase your quality-of-life and slow down the progression of this disease.
Smoking is the main cause of pulmonary fibrosis however there are other causes too. Exposure to harmful chemicals or environmental contaminants like toxic gasses and chemical fumes, can also cause fibrosis.
Smoking increases the risk of developing this type of disease. Other risk factors include air pollution, emphysema, certain diseases and genetics.
The most frequent symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are a dry cough that doesn't disappear and a shortness or slurred breath, particularly when performing physical activity. Some people ignore these signs or misinterpret them as signs of getting older, but the problem will gradually get worse.
A doctor can determine if you have lung fibrosis by taking the medical history as well as a physical exam. They can listen to your lungs using an stethoscope, and then look at an X-ray or high-resolution CT scan to detect abnormalities such as honeycombing patterns, ground glass opacities and fine lines, which are called reticulations. They can also monitor your blood pressure and determine how much oxygen your body is absorbing.
How do I obtain an agreement to settle my pulmonary fibrosis?
If you worked for an railroad and were diagnosed with lung cancer or fibrosis due to your exposure to toxic substances at work, you can file a claim for compensation under the Federal Employers Liability Act. A pulmonary-fibrosis settlement may cover medical expenses as well as lost income, long-term disabilities, and other expenses.
In the past, railroads exposed workers to hazardous chemical substances in the workplace, including asbestos and other carcinogenic substances. Inhaling and ingesting these toxic dusts and fumes put employees at a high risk of developing respiratory illnesses like idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis lung cancer, mesothelioma.
Railroads exposed their workers to hazardous substances without warning them or providing them with protective equipment. In the end, a lot of sufferers have lost loved loved ones to these debilitating diseases. Contact our railroad fibrosis lawyers today if you have been diagnosed with the disease.
Contact Us Today
Our Virginia lawyers can assist you if you have been diagnosed with a lung condition such as pulmonary fibrillation. Or when a loved one has passed away from mesothelioma or another lung disease linked to railroad exposure. We represent railroad workers who have been injured as well as their families in accordance with the federal law referred to as the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA).
We have amassed thousands of pages documents that prove that railroads were aware decades ago that exposure to diesel exhaust, asbestos as well as other dusts and fumes can cause serious lung damage. However, many railroads did not adequately warn workers or provide respiratory protection. Some railroads continued to employ asbestos and other hazardous materials long after it became clear that the material caused tens of thousands of railroad workers to become sick or die.
Lung diseases such as fibrosis and mesothelioma can take between 20 and 30 years to manifest symptoms. lung cancer caused by railroad how to get a settlement makes establishing a direct link between a patient's work history and his or his or her lung disease difficult. A skilled attorney can help railroad workers suffering from lung disease and their grieving families compile an exhaustive history of their work and link it with the diagnosis.
Contact us to find out more about what we can do to help you. A lawyer can also help you apply for government benefits that may be available to assist with your expenses for care.