When diesel fuel is burned, it creates dozens of harmful chemicals like arsenic, cyanide, formaldehyde and other known carcinogens. Those chemicals are inhaled by people who work around diesel fumes. Particulates of them then collect in the lungs. According to the environmental protection agency, they have been persuasively linked to respiratory disorders like asthma, emphysema, or even lung cancer.
OSHA Safety Alert
Railroad workers, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, and construction workers are particularly exposed to diesel fumes. After it found that breathing diesel fumes could cause lung irritation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)issued an appropriate safety alert in 2013. Here are some of the potentially fatal conditions that workers who are exposed to diesel fumes over a long period of time are confronted with:
Chronic obstructive lung disease
Cardiopulmonary disorders
Cardiovascular disease
Strokes
Lung cancer
Slow Responses to Developing Evidence
Recent studies are rapidly pointing to elevated risks of the development of different types of cancer from breathing diesel fumes. Unfortunately, industries have been slow to respond to the evidence. Individuals who believe that their disorders or diseases are connected to exposure to diesel fumes are encouraged to investigate seeking compensation for their conditions. A consultation with a diesel exhaust poisoning lawyer should be arranged for the immediate future.
Now, the diesel industry is pointing its finger at older diesel engines for the potentially fatal health issues posed by diesel exhaust contamination, but the EPA states that its findings also implicate new diesel engines. If you or a family member have been diagnosed with a disorder or disease that might be associated with prolonged breathing of diesel fumes, you owe it to yourself and your family to consult with a diesel exhaust poisoning lawyer at Diesel Injury Law. You can arrange to do that by calling 312-741-1456 or by using our easy contact form online. Consultations are free, and if a retainer agreement is entered into, no legal fees are even due unless a settlement or award is obtained for you.
