By Treven Pyles on December 28th, 2025 in FELA
Railroad workers have been exposed to asbestos for decades in locomotives, rail cars, brake systems, and maintenance facilities. If you worked as a machinist, boilermaker, brakeman, or in any railroad role and developed asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation through ongoing litigation under FELA.
Workers across the railroad industry have pursued FELA claims against companies for decades of asbestos exposure. Asbestos pervaded railroad operations, appearing in steam locomotive components, thermal insulation, braking systems, sealing gaskets, and even the ties supporting track infrastructure, placing machinists, boilermakers, and numerous other trades at risk throughout their careers.
Companies maintained asbestos-containing materials in their equipment and physical plants without disclosing health risks to employees working with these products. As workers conducted maintenance operations, performed repair services, and operated machinery, they inhaled asbestos fibers that penetrated deep into lung tissue, establishing the foundation for diseases that would emerge 30, 40, or even 50 years later.
Commonly named railroad companies include BNSF Railway, including predecessors Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad, which has been heavily involved in litigation related to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana. Union Pacific Railroad Company has been sued by employees for lung diseases from alleged consistent exposure to asbestos materials over decades.
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. was sued for failing to provide a safe work environment after employees developed cancer and other diseases from asbestos exposure. A widow was awarded $7.4 million in a FELA claim against CSX Transportation for failing to inform her husband of asbestos dangers.
Other companies frequently named include Amtrak, Conrail, Southern Pacific Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and Kansas City Southern Railway Company.
A federal jury in Helena in 2024 found BNSF Railway legally responsible for asbestos toxicity at its rail yard in Libby, Montana, that likely caused the deaths of two plaintiffs who died of mesothelioma in 2020. The jury awarded each plaintiff's estate $4 million in compensatory damages.
BNSF appealed the case, arguing that mine owner W.R. Grace never notified it that vermiculite products were tainted with toxic asbestos fibers. Although railroad companies claim ignorance of asbestos hazards, this case demonstrates that they can be held liable for the contamination caused by asbestos.
When railroad workers develop asbestos-related illnesses, they may file a FELA claim against their railroad employers. Railroad workers can sue their employers under FELA. As part of the application, you will need to submit documentation, including employment records that show asbestos exposure and work history, medical records that indicate mesothelioma, lung cancer, or other asbestos-related cancer that is eligible, and witness statements that confirm asbestos exposure. Gather evidence that the railroad company knew asbestos posed a danger to workers, but failed to warn or provide protective equipment.
The Supreme Court ruled in Kurns v. Railroad Friction Products Corp. that state court lawsuits against manufacturers for faulty railroad products were preempted by federal law, but FELA claims against railroad companies continue under federal jurisdiction.
Environmental Litigation Group has represented families in asbestos and toxic exposure lawsuits for over 35 years. Our attorneys can assist you in filing a FELA claim to obtain compensation for your injuries. Get a free consultation by sending us your employment records and medical documentation today.