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Solvent Related Illnesses

If you are suffering from an illness or disease caused by exposure to solvents, you may be entitled to claim compensation. Our specialist personal injury solicitors can provide expert claim advice and assistance, so contact us on 0800 032 8511 or by completing a claim enquiry form.

Solvent Exposure at Work
Health Effects of Solvents
Claiming Compensation
Solvent Exposure Compensation
Our Personal Injury Lawyers

Solvent Exposure at Work

Employees in various industries can come into contact with solvents as part of their work. Solvents are chemical substances used to dissolve or dilute other substances and are generally hazardous to humans.

They are used in the manufacture of many products and are also found in items such as paints and paint thinners, adhesives and varnishes.  Solvents may also be used for cleaning and degreasing purposes.

Examples of those people most at risk include workers in engineering, the manufacture of plastics, paint and rubber, carpentry or printing.

Solvents can affect a person if swallowed, inhaled or if contact is made with the skin. It is therefore important to have certain safety measures in place in any workplace where solvents are present. Protective clothing, adequate ventilation and safe procedures for the handling and disposal of solvents all help to prevent harm to employees.

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Health Effects of Solvents

Dependent upon the type of solvent and the level of exposure, solvents can cause a variety of symptoms. These include dizziness, nausea, breathing complaints and skin disorders, such as dermatitis.  Eye irritation is not uncommon and sufferers may experience irritability, tiredness or confusion.

Exposure to high concentrations of solvent fumes can result in unconsciousness or more devastating effects, for example damage to the liver, nerve damage and heart arrhythmia.

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Claiming Compensation

Any employer has a responsibility to make their workplace as safe as possible for their employees. There are detailed regulations that organisations and individuals have to adhere to when using hazardous substances such as solvents, namely the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (or COSHH) Regulations.

If you believe that you are suffering an illness or injury as a result of exposure to solvents, the first and most important step is to seek medical attention. In every case, medical evidence will be required. Detailed expert evidence is often also required in disease cases to show that the condition suffered by a claimant was caused by exposure to a particular substance.

In any personal injury claim it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence. A specialist personal injury lawyer will be able to assist you in compiling all of the necessary evidence to pursue your claim effectively.

If a family member has died from a disease caused by exposure to solvents, it may still be possible to make a claim posthumously.

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Solvent Exposure Compensation

There are two elements to a compensation award.

The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and any loss of amenity (perhaps an inability to wash your car, look after your garden, walk the dog). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.

Whereas the first element of compensation cannot make you better and can only really apologise, the second element of a compensation award, for your losses and expenses,
is known as special damages and aims to put you back in a position financially as if the illness had never occurred. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to your condition so that these can be reclaimed.

In serious cases, where a person may no longer be able to continue their employment, this can be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also be factored into the calculations. If the person is still able to work but not in the same role as before, particularly if they held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer, an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that an injured worker's prospects on the open labour market may be limited.

If a person is fatally injured, a dependent relative such as a widow and children may be able to claim a statutory sum for their bereavement and funeral expenses, but also sums for the loss of income and contribution to the household in the form of future losses.

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Our Personal Injury Lawyers

The Legal Line lawyers are experts in all areas of personal injury, with extensive experience in recovering compensation for the victims of accidents at work, exposure to hazardous substances and industrial diseases. They can provide specialist claim advice, assistance and guidance in helping you to pursue your claim to the best possible outcome.

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