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Toluene Compensation Claims

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

What is Toluene?

Illnesses Caused by Toluene
Making a Personal Injury Claim
Toluene Exposure Compensation
Specialist Claim Advice

What is Toluene?

Toluene is a colourless liquid often used in paints and paint thinners, adhesives and printing. It is also found in fuel and is used in various industrial processes. 

It is also known as methylbezene or phenylmethane.

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Illnesses Caused by Toluene Exposure

Generally, exposure to toluene occurs when a person inhales fumes, however it can also occur through contaminated soil or water supplies.

Exposure to certain levels of toluene can cause dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, headaches and nausea and, if the exposure is sustained, unconsciousness and even death.

Long term exposure to low doses can cause damage to the kidneys or brain, nervous disorders and memory problems. Toluene exposure in pregnant women can lead to birth defects.

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Making a Personal Injury Claim

If you or a family member are suffering a condition caused by toluene exposure, you may be able to claim damages against the person or company that exposed you. If you were exposed at work the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 (COSHH) will apply.

Anyone who has been exposed to an irritant or a hazardous substance and suspects that this may have caused a personal injury or disease, should seek medical advice immediately. Medical advice is needed in every personal injury case. In disease cases, specialist expert evidence is often needed show that the condition suffered 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.

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

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Toluene 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 for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.

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

In serious cases, where a person is no longer able to, say, continue their employment, the loss of wages can be claimed. Even if they can work, if they cannot do so 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'. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also be claimed if they are related to the illness. 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. In addition sums for the loss of income and contribution to the household in the form of future losses can be claimed.

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Specialist Claim Advice

At The Legal Line, our lawyers are specialised in all areas of personal injury, including industrial disease, and are experienced in recovering compensation for people injured by exposure to toluene. They can provide expert advice and assistance in assessing your case and help you to achieve the best possible outcome.

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