Industrial diseases

An industrial disease is a condition which occurs as a result of being exposed to a hazardous or toxic substance. The most well known disease is asbestosis but there are many others which include mesothelioma, occupational asthma and dermatitis.

Employers have a duty of care to the employees. They must have guidelines and safety procedures in place which will protect their employees against the risk of illness.

If this breaks down in any way then the employee is at serious risk of illness or injury.

If you have developed an industrial disease due to a lack of care or inadequate protection at work then you may be able to claim for compensation.

The most common claims for industrial disease include:

• Asbestosis claims
• Industrial deafness claims
• Lung cancer claims
• Mesothelioma claims
• Pleural thickening claims
• Pleural plaques claims
• Respiratory illness claims

If you have suffered an industrial accident then visit our work accidents and illness section. Industrial and other work related accidents are discussed in detail.

The onus is on proving that your employer failed to safeguard you against the risk of an illness, and showing a connection between your work environment and your disease.

An industrial disease has a dramatic effect upon your life.

In many cases it leads to a long term or permanent disability which affects the rest of your life. Plus it also affects your family who then have the issue of caring for you whilst trying to obtain support or financial help.

If your disease forces you to give up work then that only adds to the stress. There is the stress of your disease plus that of having to cope on a reduced income due to a loss of earnings. This may also affect your pension.

You may have to make adjustments to your day to day living which includes:

• Relying on specialist equipment, e.g. an oxygen tank to help with your breathing.
• Specialist nursing care, often on a 24 hour basis
• Medication on a daily basis
• Trips to hospital (e.g. taxi fares etc)

Your family may have to meet the cost of these services which can be expensive.

This is where compensation can help. Consider making a claim for compensation if you have developed an illness as a direct result of your work environment.

Find a personal injury lawyer or firm of solicitors who have specialist knowledge and experience in these types of claims. They will help you to pursue a claim for compensation that will cover the cost of the damage to your health, loss of earnings and rehabilitation.

Find out more about industrial diseases in this section.