Illinois Benzene Lawsuit Filed by Man with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

A man who developed non-Hodkin’s Lymphoma after working as a laborer at multiple factories over a period of 44 years filed a benzene lawsuit in Illinois state court on February 18, 2009.

The lawsuit was filed by Calvin E. Johns and his wife against 26 different defendants, alleging that exposure to large amounts of the industrial chemical benzene over a period or years led to the development of his cancer.

Benzene is a known carcinogen which is used as a solvent and during the production of various drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber and dyes. It has also been widely used as an additive in gasoline.

Long-term benzene exposure has been associated with the development of several fatal forms of cancer, such as acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other conditions.

Johns was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphona, also commonly referred to as NHL, in 2006, but he alleges that he did not learn that it was caused by exposure to benzene until November 2008.

According to The Madison Record, Johns worked as a laborer at Owens Illinois Glass Company in Alton from 1942 until 1949. He also worked as a laborer at Clark Oil, Apex, Sinclair Refining Company, and Premcor in Hartford from 1949 until 1986.

The benzene exposure lawsuit alleges that the defendants knew or should have known that workers were being exposed to large amounts of the chemical, and that they failed to warn workers or take steps that could have reduced the risk of exposure.