Employer responsibility

Anyone employed in occupations such as mining or pottery should be safeguarded against the risk of silicosis. Their employer has a responsibility to protect their employees against this and there are Health and Safety guidelines which are designed for this purpose.

This means carrying out a risk assessment of the work environment, providing protective clothing and ensuring that employees are fully aware of the dangers.

A failure to do any of this will put employees at risk and the employer liable for compensation.

There is no cure for silicosis. The effects can be devastating on both the affected person and their family.

Effects of silicosis

This is a distressing condition which causes a great deal of stress, anxiety and anger. These emotions are aimed at not just the illness but at the impact it has upon someone’s life and their ability to function on a day to day level.

Silicosis is a life changing disease. It can mean many years of ill health with no prospect of a cure and this puts a strain on all concerned.

There is the worry of trying to cope with the effects of silicosis and whether it will shorten your life expectancy. This leads to further worry about how your family will cope now and in the future.

If the disease has progressed to where it has forced you to give up work then there are financial implications to deal with. The loss of earnings means a drop in income and that may cause financial hardship for you and your family.

Having to manage on a single income is not easy and especially so if there are additional expenses to deal with which have been caused by your disease. These may include treatment, medication and specialist care.

Compensation will not undo the effects of silicosis but it can help in other ways. It can be used to pay for specialist nursing or equipment to ease the symptoms of silicosis and improve your quality of life.

Making a claim for compensation for silicosis

It can many years before the symptoms of silicosis become apparent. In some cases it can be as much as 20 years before the onset of these symptoms.

If you have changed jobs in that time then this disease may be traced back to your original employment.

Look for a personal injury lawyer or solicitor who has the necessary experience and knowledge regarding claims for industrial diseases such as this. He or she will have handled these claims before and will have an understanding of the many issues which are likely to be involved.

Given the nature of the claim and the long term effect on your health the lawyer should handle your claim with sympathy and care and ensure that you are kept fully up to date.

He or she will assess your claim and any supporting evidence. If you have had several jobs in the period of time between the exposure and the onset of the disease then this will be taken into account.

The lawyer or solicitor should be able to advise you about the outcome of your claim.

If you want to know more about the compensation process then visit our making a claim for compensation section.

Time limit for claiming compensation for silicosis

There is a 3 year time limit for personal injury claims which starts from the date of the accident or diagnosis of an illness.

But this differs in industrial disease claims due to the length of time between the initial exposure and the manifestation of the disease.

Your lawyer or solicitor will discuss the time limit for your claim with you.