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Farmer's Lung

If you or a member of your family is suffering from farmer's lung caused by the negligence of another party, it is possible that our specialist personal injury lawyers could help you to claim compensation.  Contact us today on 0800 032 8511 for claim advice, or by completing a claim enquiry form .

What is Farmer's Lung?

Symptoms of Farmer's Lung
What if I Have Farmer's Lung?
Compensation
Our Industrial Disease Lawyers

What is Farmer's Lung?

Allergic alveolitis, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis, is often given the common name of farmer's lung.  It is so called as historically, farmers and agriculture based workers are the most usual sufferers.  It is caused by exposure to spores, mostly found in mouldy hay, straw and other crops, such as corn or grain. 

There are other similar illnesses that can be brought about by spores, occurring occasionally in people involved in malt or mushroom production and those keeping birds (Malt Worker's Lung, Mushroom Worker's Lung and Bird Fancier's Lung respectively).  These conditions are now relatively uncommon, largely due to improved working processes.

The following are some of the risk activities for developing farmer's lung:

• Handling hay, straw or silage
• Working with grain or other feedstuffs
• Cleaning or working in grain storage bins or silos
• Working in dusty barns, buildings or fields
• Exposure to animal fur, dander or feathers
• Contact with livestock and horses
• Dealing with mouldy vegetable matter

The condition causes breathing difficulties and chest problems, which if left untreated and exposure continues, can be permanent.  Luckily, if the symptoms are noticed early enough and exposure to the spores is discontinued, the sufferer’s lungs can usually recover with time.

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Symptoms of Farmer's Lung

Farmer's lung has symptoms that are similar to some other illnesses, so if you suspect that you may be affected it is always important to consult your GP for a thorough examination. 

There are different forms of the condition, acute farmer's lung, subacute farmer's lung and chronic farmer's lung

Some general signs that you may have farmer's lung are:

• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in the chest
• Persistent coughing
• Physical weakness
• General fatigue / malaise
• Aches and pains
• Occasional fever

Acute farmer's lung usually occurs within hours of exposure to mould spores, often if a person is particularly sensitive or there is an especially heavy exposure.  Chronic farmer's lung generally develops over a longer period of time with continued exposure and the symptoms are often less noticeable to begin with, becoming progressively worse over time.

Although farmer's lung can not be cured it can often be controlled.  The most important step is to avoid further contact with mould and spores.  Medication, and in some cases oxygen therapy, can be used to help with the symptoms.

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What if I Have Farmer’s Lung?

If you suspect that you have developed farmer's lung through the negligence of your employer, you may be entitled to make a personal injury claim.  There are certain regulations in force that all employers must abide by, designed to protect employees from hazardous substances at work, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988, or COSHH.

The most important course of action initially is to seek medical advice and have your condition diagnosed.  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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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 and can include an award for your inability to do things that you used to be able to do before (eg wash your car, attend work, play sports 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 illness, so that these can be reclaimed.  The aim is to put you back in a position financially as if the farmer's lung had never developed.

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Our Industrial Disease Lawyers

At The Legal Line, our lawyers are specialist in recovering damages for those affected by industrial disease and have extensive experience in claims for farmer's lung.   They can provide expert claim advice, guidance and assistance for anyone who believes that they, or a member of their family, have suffered an illness brought on by conditions in their workplace.

If you suspect that a relative may have died as the result of a respiratory condition caused by their work, it may be possible to make a posthumous compensation claim.

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