Saturday 30 June 2012

Industrial disease – an occupational hazard?


Over a three-year period from 2008, approximately 5,700 new cases of work-related illness were diagnosed in the UK*.

These statistics in fact only represented a small proportion of the number of total cases, as they are part of a voluntary medical reporting scheme that many doctors may not have contributed to.

In the past, becoming sick and even dying as a result of your work, was considered in many occupations to simply be something that went with the territory of needing to earn money for one’s self and family.

Of course in many cases previously, medical science was not sufficiently sophisticated to identify a firm correlation between occupation and illness symptoms.

Today, that has now changed considerably.

Society has recognised that some occupations are hazardous and insists that employers and employees alike take certain minimum safety precautions. 

In other situations, it is also recognised that whatever may be the safe practices today, in the past they were not in place and that people may have suffered potentially serious effects on their health as a result.  Perhaps one of the best-known examples of this relates to the asbestos industry.

The law insists that your employer provides a safe working environment.  If they fail to do so they may be subject to prosecution.  You may also have the right to progress industrial injury claims if your working environment has led to deterioration in your health.

The same basic principles apply to accidents at work or in the legitimate conduct of your duties.

In some cases, your employer may immediately make excellent provision to compensate you for the damage to your health or the consequences of the accident but some may be less inclined to do so.  Even in situations where they have accepted liability, are you confident that you know the real amounts you might be entitled to and as a result, whether their offer is just?

This is where Bentley Accident Claims may be able to help you.

We will provide from the outset, a fully qualified solicitor for you to discuss your potential claim with and they may be able to offer you an initial opinion.

If we believe that you have just grounds for a claim, we will be happy to progress things on your behalf on a no-win, no-fees basis.

Your health is important and if trying to conduct your duties in line with the requirements of your job has put it at risk, you may be due for compensation accordingly.    

*Source: