Grant & Eisenhofer and Poolson|Oden have filed the first in a wave of new cases under the Federal Employers' Liability Act on behalf of hundreds of railroad workers who developed cancer and other serious illnesses after decades of occupational exposure to toxic substances at Norfolk Southern. The initial claim, Hunter v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., was filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on behalf of Charlie Hunter, a 73-year-old former foreman who worked for the railroad for 40 years before a recent lung cancer diagnosis. The complaint alleges that Norfolk Southern knew or should have known of the cancer risks from diesel exhaust, benzene, creosote, silica dust, asbestos, herbicides, pesticides, and airborne heavy metals for decades, yet failed to warn workers, monitor exposure levels, or provide basic protective equipment. It further alleges violations of the Federal Locomotive Inspection Act for failing to maintain adequate ventilation and exhaust filtration in locomotives. The attorneys stated that additional filings on behalf of railroad workers are expected in the coming weeks.
Norfolk Southern CorporationHundreds of FELA lawsuits filed alleging toxic exposure and failure to protect workers, with more expected.