COLLINWOOD YARD 
Diesel Exhaust Exposure

Our attorneys are investigating a wide range of work injury and toxic exposure claims on behalf of railroad workers in Ohio and nationwide. We have the experience, the resources and the willingness to take on complex occupational cancer cases, and negotiate for a significant settlement package. 

Thousands of former workers in Ohio’s rail yards were likely exposed to a variety of industrial toxins and carcinogenic materials that were widely used in the industry. The EPA and CDC have warned that even a small duration of exposure to some hazardous substances could raise the risk of later developing specific kinds of cancer. Even today, some rail yards are filled with diesel exhaust fumes, that can lead to a number of medical conditions if workers are not properly protected. 

Contact our legal team to learn more about the safety hazards at railroad facilities, and to discuss whether you have a viable case. We have settled workplace cancer claims on behalf of workers in Ohio and nationwide. 

What is Recoverable in a Railroad Cancer Lawsuit?

Your case is unique due to your individual work history and medical diagnosis. A compensation package that we negotiate will depend on a number of factors, including your occupation at a particular rail yard, the duration of employment, evidence of toxic exposure, and the severity of your current medical condition. The following damages may be awarded to you in a railroad injury case:

• Lost wages: you can claim the loss of wages due to a work-related illness or injury. These can include past wages and also the loss of future earnings if a serious illness prevents you from returning to your job in the same or similar capacity. 
• Medical Expenses: All medical bills related to an occupational lung disease may be covered in the event that insurance does not cover treatments, medications, therapy and long-term disability. 
• Non-Material Damages: plaintiffs have successfully been able to settle claims that include damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of quality of life and in some cases, punitive damages against a former employer. In a wrongful death claim, families can sue for the loss of companionship and loss of future earnings. 

About Collinwood Yard

The Collinwood Yard, as well as the Clark Avenue Yard, have been operated by Conrail and CSX for most of the last 50 years. 

Collinwood has a long history, and was a major switching point of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad and had vast freight yards under their control. The Collinwood Yards, at one point, included over 120 miles of track and also had major repair shops on site. In the war years and for a time after, Collinwood, near Cleveland proper, was one of the busiest industrial areas in the world, and necessitated a large rail network. The railroads in the Cleveland, Ohio area served Fisher Body of GM, TRW, General Electric, Lincoln Electric, Bailey Meter and many other large corporations.

Conrail took over the Collinwood Yard in the mid 1970s and eventually downsized, and closed their extensive diesel locomotive repair facilities.

Note about Conrail: The federal government bailed out struggling regional railroads in the 1970s and created a new company called Conrail. Conrail was eventually disbanded and their assets reorganized between CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern.