IS WORK MAKING YOU ILL?
Have you recently been diagnosed with an illness or a long term injury, which you think may be due to your working environment?
You may be struggling with your hearing and have worked in a very noisy place. You may have difficulties relating to your breathing and have, in the past, been exposed to asbestos. You may have a long term back injury following years in a job that involves you being in one position for lengths of time or doing a lot of heavy lifting.
There are many types of illnesses or injury that our working environment can cause. Some of them mean that we cannot do that job again. This can be very difficult especially if it is the only trade or profession that we are trained for. For most of us, being out of work brings with it financial worries.
Is there anything that can be done? If you have concerns then you firstly need a diagnosis. See your GP who, if it is felt necessary, will refer you to a specialist. You may get an indication from them whether or not your complaint could relate to your working practices.
If you do receive a diagnosis then you may be entitled to a government benefit or compensation from your employer. These are two separate types of claim, although they can both be made. The first will involve a visit to your local DSS office to collect a claim form, the second will involve a trip to your local Solicitor.
It is not possible to claim compensation in every case. It is necessary to prove that your employers are negligent and that that negligence has caused your illness/injury. It could be that it is not practical/possible for your employers to alter their systems of work or that they are already abiding by the legal rules and regulations. However, it could equally be that you do have a claim. It is worth making enquiries with your chosen Solicitor, who may well be able to provide an initial free interview and could also conduct such claims on a “No Win, No Fee” basis.
If you feel that you are in this position then do something about it now. You do not want it to be too late. If a claim is to be made for compensation then it must be done within 3 years.
For further details on this or any other personal injury matter please contact your most convenient Maxwell Hodge office. For contact details please click here.
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