Virginia injury attorney Rick Shapiro edits the legal weblog Virginia Beach Personal Injury Lawyer and serves the southeast Virginia area from Norfolk to the Eastern Shore. Mr. Shapiro provides updates and opinions on all areas of personal injury law including medical malprectice, car truck, SUV and tractor trailer accidents, train and railroad injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and many others. http://virginiabeach.injuryboard.com/workplace-injuries/recent-comments/ This unfortunate case seems to be on a parallel with those cases involving exposure to molds and mycotoxins and/or chemicals, involving resultant hypersensitivities that can manifest as Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and building mold sensitivities (to minute amounts) - ie. Sick Building Syndrome or Building Related Illness, etc.. The individuals often have some physical damage and/or inflammation but might be able to do some sort of work in a highly protected environment where there is not mold growing in the building, damp buildings or chemical exposures (these can be everyday chemicals used in controlling pests, cleaning or maintenance, offgassing of rugs, mastic, or paint AND perfumed personal products of others, even deodorants, shampoos, dryer sheet useage, etc). They also may require fresh air, rather than that emitted within a sealed building with AC and HVAC systems, in order to breathe properly. Therefore, they may, under the most ideal conditions, with major accommodations, be able to work, but cannot, as the exposures while working would make them ill. Yet they are most often denied Worker's Compensation (this is fought fiercely by employers who do not wish to assume liability for them or many others in the buildings) and SSA benefits are frequently denied. These individuals end up, through no fault of their own, through workplace exposures to damp buildings with molds and bacteria or chemical exposures, without medical insurance, income, and can be rendered homeless, sicker, and even experience death as a result of these denials. This is something needing immediate attention by the incoming administration in Washington, DC, as damp buildings with mold are an "epidemic" in the US, including our public schools. http://virginiabeach.injuryboard.com/workplace-injuries/major-railroad-worker-verdict-against-csx-for-engineer-exposed-to-toxic-hazardous-fumes.aspx?googleid=251864#C11740 A comment on Major Railroad Worker Verdict Against CSX for Engineer Exposed to Toxic, Hazardous Fumes Workplace Injuries railroad lung toxic exposure FELA HCL engineer railroad injury CSX personal injury Susan Brinchman Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:37:03 GMT