Rail workers blame mesothelioma asbestos disease on CSXTampa, Florida - In Tampa, Florida, a group of four former CSX employees have filed a lawsuit against their former employer, alleging that CSX is to blame for the asbestos-related lung cancer that they have developed. The four men - Jerry B. Brown, James R. Givens, James Toombs and William F. Triner - say that over the past forty years they have worked throughout Hillsborough County and were never once warned about the health risks associated with long term asbestos exposure by CSX.
Between 2007 and 2009, all four were men were diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer. Asbestos exposure has also been associated with the development of mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive cancer that can affect the lungs as well as other tissues in the chest and abdominal cavity.
Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms.
In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos can result in scarring of the lungs that may be either benign (pleural plaques) or dangerous and life-threatening (asbestosis).
Each man held a different title, but according to court documents, all men were required during the course of their duties with CSX to do work in areas where they were "heavily exposed" to asbestos. The company allegedly failed to provide the men with respirators or any other form of protective gear.
