_{If you need assistance with a claim, contact injurywatch.co.uk's free, confidential legal claim support helpdesk.}

See also our common hazards pages

Call 0800 066 99 07 and get our personal injury team working for you straight away. The call is free, the advice is free and nothing will ever be deducted from your compensation.

types of illness

Detailed coverage of individual work-related illnesses are provided for the following conditions:

• asbestos related illnesses
• occupational asthma
• chemical poisoning (see also: hazardous chemicals)
• occupational deafness (see also: noise hazards)
• dermatitis
• emphysema
• other respiratory diseases (see also: dust hazards)
• silicosis
• stress and other psychiatric disorders
• work-related upper limb disorders and repetitive strain injuries

Other important articles:

• group action
• gathering evidence - diy research into work-related illness
• claimable expenses
• compensation tables

general information

Every year 25,000 people are forced out of their jobs by work-related ill-health.

Occupational illnesses frequently present greater complications than occupational injuries as they may not become apparent until many years after the damage was caused. Employees may have moved away from the original workplace and insurers may attempt to present a defence that the cause of the disease was encountered elsewhere, either with another employer or outside the workplace.

Often known as industrial diseases because of their traditional assciation with industry and engineering, new work methods have seen work-related medical conditions (such as stress and psychiatric disorders and repetitive strain injuries) develop across the spectrum of workplaces so as to make "work-related illness" the preferred label.

Cases can involve finding former work colleagues from long ago to attempt to prove a pattern of illness derived from the workplace and many workplace related claims evolve into group actions.

Workplace-related illness cases are thus rarely settled quickly and require the attention of the most experienced specialist solicitors to put together a case based on the evidence of expert medical and statistical advisors and with a view to proving your case. Under no circumstances must you entrust an occupational injury case to a local "generalist" solicitor. You will need the dedicated assistance of a seasoned workplace related illness/industrial disease solicitor who specialises in your field to help you win your claim.

time limits

The same time limits apply for a claim as those for occupational injury - in most cases you will need to commence your claim within three years of diagnosis, but as occupational diseases can remain undetected for years, this can result in cases being initiated long after the initial harm was caused.

Most workplace related diseases are serious - many are fatal - and insurers are often accused of being unreasonably slow in agreeing a settlement. A skilled and experienced work-related illness solicitor will maximise the likelihood that you will be properly compensated in a reasonable amount of time. injurywatch.co.uk's legal helpline is the obvious place to initiate your claim.