Benzene Exposure Lawyer for Workers With AML, MDS, and Multiple Myeloma

Do I Have a Benzene Case?

You may be eligible for a free case review if:

• You worked in a job or industry where benzene, gasoline, solvents, parts washers, older paints and paint thinners that may have contained benzene, or related products were present.
• You have been diagnosed with AML, MDS, or multiple myeloma.
• You are the spouse, child, or other family member of a worker who passed away from one of these illnesses.

Retired workers may still be eligible. These illnesses can appear years after exposure ends, so the timing of your diagnosis often matters more than when you left the job. Our team helps piece together your work history and gathers the records.

What Is Benzene?

Benzene is a colorless liquid with a distinctive odor. It is found in crude oil and gasoline. Industry has long used it as a solvent and as a starting material for plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, rubber, dyes, and other products. Many workers never knew they were around it. They pumped gas, washed parts with solvents, mixed or sprayed paints and thinners, worked plant turnarounds, or spent years in a shop where the air carried fuel and cleaner fumes.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies benzene as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).

How Benzene Is Linked to Blood Cancer

Most workplace exposure happens by breathing benzene vapor, and some benzene can also be absorbed through the skin. The body breaks benzene down mainly in the liver, and some of those breakdown products reach the bone marrow, where blood cells are made. There they can damage DNA in developing cells. Over time, that damage can interfere with how the marrow makes healthy blood cells.

The strongest scientific link is between benzene and AML. Benzene has also been linked to MDS. Studies have associated benzene with multiple myeloma as well, but that evidence is more limited than the evidence for AML. Not every exposure leads to illness, and not every case of these diseases is linked to benzene. Each claim turns on the worker’s own work and medical history.

Benzene and AML, MDS, and Multiple Myeloma

Benzene and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It grows quickly and interferes with the body’s ability to make normal blood cells. IARC has found sufficient evidence linking benzene to AML in adults, its strongest category of evidence. Workers with higher or longer benzene exposure have been found to face a higher risk of AML than people without that exposure. If you have AML and a history of occupational benzene exposure, we can help piece together your work history, help gather your medical records, and explain your options.

Benzene and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

MDS is a group of bone marrow disorders in which the marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells. It is a separate condition from AML. In some people MDS may later progress to AML, but many people with MDS never develop leukemia. The American Cancer Society lists long-term workplace benzene exposure as a risk factor for MDS. If you have been diagnosed with MDS and worked around benzene, gasoline, solvents, paints, paint thinners, or parts cleaners, a case review may be worthwhile.

Benzene and Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is different from AML and MDS. Studies have associated occupational benzene exposure with multiple myeloma, but that evidence is more limited than the evidence linking benzene to AML. Many cases have no known cause. If you have multiple myeloma and a history of workplace benzene or solvent exposure, we can review your facts and help you understand whether you may be eligible to seek compensation.

Symptoms to Discuss With Your Doctor

Only a doctor can diagnose these illnesses. According to the American Cancer Society, common signs include:

• AML and MDS: tiredness and weakness, shortness of breath, frequent infections, fevers, easy bruising or bleeding, and pale skin, often caused by low blood counts.
• Multiple myeloma: bone pain (often in the back or hips), weakness, frequent infections, and problems shown on blood or urine tests, such as anemia or high calcium.

If you have a diagnosis and a work history around benzene, tell your doctor about that exposure.

Jobs and Workplaces With Benzene Exposure

Benzene shows up in many industrial settings. The list below reflects the kinds of work we most often review. It is not complete, and you do not need a perfect job title to call.

• Oil and gas refineries and petrochemical plants
• Chemical plants and plastics plants
• Rubber and tire manufacturing
• Auto mechanics and auto body shops, including work with parts washers, carburetor cleaners, brake cleaners, degreasers, and solvents
• Gas station attendants and others who regularly handled gasoline
• Painters and workers who used paints, paint thinners, lacquers, or related solvents that may have contained benzene
• Printing work involving inks and solvents
• Steel mills, oil fields, foundries, and other heavy industrial sites
• Shipyards and maritime work
• Shoe manufacturing, where some adhesives historically contained benzene
• Truck drivers who hauled fuel or chemicals, reviewed case by case
• Railroad workers exposed to diesel fuel, solvents, or degreasers (see FELA below)

Our focus is occupational exposure.

Workers’ Compensation vs. a Benzene Lawsuit

Many workers are limited to workers’ compensation when it comes to claims against their own employer. But a benzene case often looks beyond the employer. Depending on the facts, claims may be brought against the manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors of benzene-containing products, or against other responsible parties such as the owner of a site where you worked. Some people may be able to pursue both a workers’ compensation claim and a lawsuit against other parties. The rules vary by state, and we can explain which paths may fit your situation.

Railroad Workers and FELA

Railroad workers who developed AML, MDS, or multiple myeloma after exposure to diesel fuel, solvents, or degreasers may have rights under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) rather than state workers’ compensation. Contact us and we will explain how FELA may apply.

OSHA Benzene Limits and Employer Responsibilities

OSHA’s benzene standard sets a permissible exposure limit of 1 part per million averaged over an 8-hour workday and a short-term limit of 5 parts per million. Employers covered by the standard may be required to monitor air levels, use engineering controls and ventilation, provide protective equipment, train workers, offer medical surveillance, and keep exposure and health records. If workplace safety failures played a part in your exposure and later illness, you may be eligible to seek compensation from responsible parties, depending on the facts.

Compensation You May Be Eligible to Seek

Every case is different, and we cannot predict any outcome. Depending on the facts, a worker or family may be eligible to seek compensation for:

• Medical expenses related to the illness
• Past and future lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life
• Disability-related losses, where applicable
• In wrongful death cases, losses to the family and related damages allowed by law

Deadlines for Benzene Claims

Deadlines vary by state and can be short. In many states the time limit is tied to when you were diagnosed or when you reasonably should have connected the illness to your work, not to when the exposure happened. Waiting can put a claim at risk, so contact us promptly. Once we know where you worked and when you were diagnosed, we can explain the timing that may apply.

How Braver Law Helps

Our role is to take the legal work off your plate so you can focus on treatment and family. When you contact us, we will:

• Listen to your story and review your work history, job sites, and the products or processes you were around
• Track down the records your case needs, including helping gather your medical records
• Work with qualified professionals to evaluate whether your illness may be connected to benzene exposure
• Explain your options in plain language, including timing
• Pursue compensation on your behalf, whether through settlement or, if needed, trial

We stand with workers and their families. You can meet with us by phone or video, and in some cases in person. Learn more about our firm on our About Us page.

Benzene Lawsuit FAQs

Talk With a Benzene Exposure Lawyer

If you or a loved one has AML, MDS, or multiple myeloma that may be linked to occupational benzene exposure, contact Braver Law. We will listen, review your history, and explain your options clearly. Call 800-672-7181 or start your free case review online. You can also reach us through our contact page.

No Fee Unless We Recover for You.

Attorney Advertising. Daniel Braverman, licensed in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts.