A former railroad worker who suffered severe brain damage from long-term exposure to cleaning solvents in the workplace was awarded $1.8 million in compensation after a jury found the railroad company liable for the damages.
The personal injury lawsuit, filed against CSX Transportation, claims railroad employees were forced to work with toxic cleaning solvents with little or no protection, lead to hundreds of cases of serious injury.
Plaintiff Terry L. Williams worked as a machinist for CSX for 34 years and left the railroad in 2000 after he was diagnosed with toxic encephalopathy, which caused him to sustain permanent brain damage.
According to the suit, more than 600 other railroad workers have also been diagnosed with permanent brain damage as a result of prolonged workplace exposure to cleaning solvents without adequate protection.
Researchers have found that the chemicals used by railroad employees actually shrinks an area of the brain that aids in allowing both sides of the brain to communicate, leading to permanent damage.
While the use of such solvents was phased out by the industry in the early 90s, hundreds of current or former workers have filed civil lawsuits seeking compensation for their losses and suffering.
So far, CSX has paid $35 million in awards or settlements. There are still quite a number of pending lawsuits in several states.