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Acute Silicosis

If you or a member of your family is suffering from acute silicosis, our specialist industrial disease lawyers may be able to help you claim compensation. Contact us today on 0800 032 8511 for claim advice, or by completing a claim enquiry form.

Silicosis

Who is at Risk of Developing Acute Silicosis
Effects of Silicosis
Making a Claim
Silicosis Compensation
Our Industrial Disease Lawyers

Silicosis

Silicosis is an industrial disease, caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica dust. It is most common in those that have been employed in certain industries, notably stone working, glass production, construction and mining.

Acute silicosis is the rarer and more severe form of the disease, generally caused through more intense exposure to silica over an often shorter period than with chronic silicosis.

Silicosis can usually be diagnosed via x-rays, lung function tests and bronchoscopies.

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Who is at Risk of Developing Acute Silicosis?

In general silicosis affects people over the age of 40, as it often takes many years of exposure to silica dust for symptoms to develop.  This is not always the case however, particularly in the case of acute silicosis.  There are also more cases of silicosis in men than women, as historically they are more likely to have been exposed to silica dust.

Employees in certain industries run the highest risk of developing the disease, including:

• Foundry workers
• Sandblasters
• Potters
• Miners
• Construction workers
• Stonecutters

The numer of silicosis cases diagnosed each year is now lower in the UK than in the past, mainly due to improvements in health and safety measures and working conditions.  Hopefully precautions such as masks, adequate ventilation and 'wet' drilling will help to further reduce the number of cases in the future.

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Effects of Silicosis

Exposure to high levels of silica dust irritates the lungs, causing them to become inflamed.   This leads to irreversible scarring and thickening of the lining of the lungs, which is known as fibrosis.

Symptoms can include severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, coughing, fatigue and a drop in blood oxygen levels. In some cases, the lungs can also become filled with fluid.

Silicosis is an incurable condition, so treatment is usually designed to relieve symptoms and prevent infections.

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Making a Claim

These type of diseases do not show themselves quickly after exposure. They can take many years to develop. By then the person you need to make a claim against (perhaps an employer) may no longer be alive or in business. Pursuing these claims is complicated and is best dealt with by an experienced personal injury lawyer.

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.

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Silicosis Compensation

There are two elements to a compensation award. The first is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and what is known as loss of amenity. This is called general damages can include an award for your inability to do things that you used to be able to do before (eg work, play sports, walk the dog etc). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.

The second element of a compensation award is for your losses and expenses and is known as special damages. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to your industrial illness, so that these can be reclaimed. The aim is to put you back in a position financially as if the silicosis had never developed.

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Our Industrial Disease Lawyers

At The Legal Line, our solicitors are experts in personal injury and industrial disease and have a wealth of experience in dealing with compensation claims for silicosis. They can provide the best legal advice available for those suffering from the condition.

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