City of Chicago Benzene Lawsuit

Juries in the City of Chicago, Illinois have awarded multi-million dollar verdicts to workers with cancer who were exposed to benzene, a toxic chemical that is known to cause leukemia and lymphoma.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting benzene induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with cancer from benzene exposure, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Toxic Chemical Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

$7.5 Million Awarded in Chicago Benzene Lawsuit

In November 2016, a railroad worker named James Brown was awarded $7.5 million after he filed a benzene lawsuit in Chicago. He was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) after decades of exposure to benzene in solvents and creosote while working for Chicago & North Western Railway (CNW) — Case No. 10-L-1213.

Mechanic With Cancer Files Benzene Lawsuit in Chicago

An auto mechanic with cancer filed a benzene lawsuit in Chicago, Illinois, in the Circuit Court of Cook County in February 2017. The man, Steven J. Williams, worked in repair shops from 1982 until he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He regularly breathed benzene fumes in the air from diesel fuel, parts washer solvent, paint, belt dressings, and more — Case No. 2016-L001056.

What is Benzene?

Benzene is a toxic carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemical. It is found in a wide range of products, including gasoline, solvents, degreasers, paint, rubber, adhesives, dye, plastics, and more. Benzene is a sweet-smelling, highly-flammable chemical that evaporates quickly.

Workers Exposed to Benzene

Mechanics
Railroad workers
Oil and petroleum workers
Tires and rubber manufacturing
Plastic manufacturing
Benzene transportation and storage
And more

Types of Cancer Linked to Benzene

Exposure to benzene is primarily by breathing it in the air. When benzene gets into the body, it accumulates in the bones. This can cause the bone marrow to produce cancerous blood cells, resulting in leukemia or lymphoma.

Over time, breathing benzene is associated with several types of cancer:

Information About the City of Chicago

The city of Chicago is the 3rd biggest city in the United States, after Los Angeles and New York, with a population of 2.7 million people living in 77 distinct neighborhoods. It is known as the “Windy City,” likely due to the breezes off Lake Michigan that sweep city streets.

Chicago is home to some of the largest skyscrapers in America, with a skyline dominated by the 1,451-foot John Hancock Tower. Chicago is world famous for its museums, deep dish pizza, jazz, and architecture. It is also one of only four U.S. cities to have sports teams from five major professions: baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and soccer.

77 Neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois

Albany Park
Archer Heights
Armour Square
Ashburn
Auburn Gresham
Austin
Avalon Park
Avondale
Belmont Cragin
Beverly
Bridgeport
Brighton Park
Burnside
Calumet Heights
Chatham
Chicago Lawn
Clearing
Douglas
Dunning
East Garfield Park
East Side
Edgewater
Edison Park
Englewood
Forest Glen
Fuller Park
Gage Park
Garfield Ridge
Grand Boulevard
Greater Grand Crossing
Hegewisch
Hermosa
Humboldt Park
Hyde Park
Irving Park
Jefferson Park
Kenwood
Lake View
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Square
Logan Square
Loop
Lower West Side
Mckinley Park
Montclare
Morgan Park
Mount Greenwood
Near North Side
Near South Side
Near West Side
New City
North Center
North Lawndale
North Park
Norwood Park
Oakland
O’Hare
Portage Park
Pullman
Riverdale
Rogers Park
Roseland
South Chicago
South Deering
South Lawndale
South Shore
Uptown
Washington Heights
Washington Park
West Elsdon
West Englewood
West Garfield Park
West Lawn
West Pullman
West Ridge
West Town
Woodlawn

Do I have a Benzene Lawsuit?

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.