It is possible to bring a claim for compensation against an employer should you or a loved one suffer from an industrial disease or an industrial injury. If you live in Northern Ireland and you require advice from an industrial disease solicitor, Lacey Solicitors may have the answers you need.
What is Classed as an Industrial Disease?
The Health and Safety at Work Legislation in Northern Ireland set out clear regulations on what an employer must do to provide for the care of an employee. When an employer fails in this duty of care industrial accidents happen. Industrial injuries and industrial diseases are the possible results.
An industrial illness is one contracted at work, or due to hazardous materials which you work (or worked) with. You must have been employed when the disease, injury, or illness was contracted. These problems often arise due to unsafe working conditions. If your employer did not facilitate PPE or alternatively did not take steps to protect you from industrial injuries during your employment, you may be able to pursue a claim for compensation.
Common Examples of Industrial Diseases
Thankfully, due to increased awareness and campaigns from the Health and Safety Executive industrial diseases themselves are no longer common due to improved health and safety in the workplace. Unfortunately there are some situations where they can still occur. Our office are regularly instructed in relation to the following types of cases:
- Asbestos Related Diseases – Asbestosis is a serious lung condition causing scar tissue and inflammation inside the lungs. Asbestos was a widely used building material up until the early nineties. Construction workers from this era might suffer from this chronic lung condition.
- Skin Diseases – Dermatitis and Psoriasis are common skin conditions which occur when the skin comes into contact with certain chemicals. Your employer should provide you with safety gloves and equipment. Otherwise you may have grounds for a claim for compensation.
- Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) – RSI include Carpal Tunnel syndrome, vibration related white finger, overuse injuries and certain chronic pain syndromes. Read more about Repetitive Strain Injury here.
- Hearing Loss – If your employment exposed you to continuous loud sounds without ear protection, you could bring a claim for compensation against an employer.
How Long Does an Industrial Injury Claim Take?
This is one of our most frequently asked questions and often one of the hardest to answer. Most straightforward industrial disease claims, where liability is admitted and all parties are identified can be brought to a suitable resolution within 12 months from our office being instructed.
If your claim for compensation after an industrial accident is not straightforward, perhaps where the injury is particularly severe, or where parties are unknown, or liability is disputed, it will in all likelihood take longer to resolve.
Our advice, as ever, is to hire a professional legal team to represent and initiate the claims process just as soon as you become aware of the injury.
How Much Can I Get in Compensation?
There is no way to tell without gaining the advice of an expert. Industrial injury solicitors like Lacey Solicitors are skilled in Northern Irish compensation claim law. Get in touch with our professional, friendly, and reassuringly experienced team today to discuss your industrial injuries claim.
Seek Advice on a Potential Industrial Disease/Industrial Injury Claim
If you think you may be eligible for compensation due to an industrial injury or disease, then seeking legal advice is the next logical step. Lacey Solicitors have a Belfast branch who are skilled at handling industrial disease claims in Northern Ireland. Contact us now to discuss your situation in greater detail and get the legal advice you require in order to move on with your life.
Call Lacey Solicitors Today on 028 9089 6540.
