Railroad Worker Lawsuit Claims Occupational Chemical Exposure Caused Stomach Cancer

Complaint references decades of medical literature associating asbestos, diesel exhaust and benzene with cancer, alleging that railroad work creates unique conditions that intensify those exposure risks.

A former railroad worker has filed a lawsuit claiming that decades of occupational exposure to toxic industrial chemicals caused him to develop a deadly form of stomach cancer.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Johnny Alford in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on January 23, naming The Kansas City Southern Railway Company, doing business as Canadian Pacific Kansas City, or CPKC, as the defendant.

Alford claims that he was a longtime railroad employee who was routinely exposed to carcinogenic chemicals while performing maintenance, repair and operational duties for the industry, alleging that those exposures occurred over many years and were a direct contributing cause of his eventual stomach cancer diagnosis.

According to the filing, railroad companies knew or should have known that repeated exposure to certain substances present in rail yards, maintenance facilities, locomotives and trackside operations pose serious cancer risks, yet they have failed to implement adequate safety measures, monitoring or warnings.

Alford’s lawsuit specifically identifies the following chemicals as contributing to his development of gastric adenocarcinoma, which is the most common form of stomach cancer:

• Diesel fuel, diesel exhaust, diesel fumes, diesel smoke and diesel exhaust soot, which are all classified as known human carcinogens
• Benzene, a well-established carcinogen associated with blood cancers and gastrointestinal cancers
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), many of which are known carcinogens that can damage DNA and increase the risk of stomach and gastrointestinal cancers through inhalation or ingestion
• Creosote, commonly used to treat railroad ties and contains multiple carcinogenic compounds, including PAHs
• Silica sand (respirable crystalline silica), which is linked to cancer and other serious diseases
• Asbestos, a well-known cause of cancer
• Coke dust, a coal-derived substance that contains carcinogenic compounds similar to PAHs and has been linked to cancers of the digestive tract
• Pesticides, including Roundup (glyphosate-based herbicides), many of which have been associated with increased cancer risks
• Other chemicals transported in freight cars

The complaint alleges that chronic inhalation and ingestion of these substances caused long-term damage to Alford’s gastrointestinal system. 

Medical literature has long associated occupational exposure to asbestos, diesel exhaust and benzene with increased cancer risks, including cancers of the lungs, digestive tract and blood, the filing points out. Alford contends that railroad workers face unique exposure risks due to prolonged time spent in enclosed engine compartments, rail yards and other facilities where hazardous chemicals accumulate.

“Specifically, while working for Defendant, Plaintiff’s daily work required him to work inside, behind, and alongside idling locomotives for long periods of time exposing him to at least the following carcinogens on a routine, daily basis: diesel fuel, diesel exhaust, diesel fumes, diesel smoke, diesel exhaust soot, benzene, coke, and PAHs.”

— Johnny Alford v. The Kansas City Southern Railway Company

Alford’s claim is being pursued under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), which allows certain workers to seek compensation when employer negligence contributes to occupational injuries or illnesses.

He raises allegations of negligence, asserting that the defendants breached their duty to provide a reasonably safe workplace, and is seeking damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses tied to his cancer diagnosis.

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