Crystalline Silica Exposure Claims

If you have been exposed to crystalline silica, you could be able to claim crystalline silica compensation. Crystalline silica, which is more commonly referred to as silica, is a naturally occurring compound that can be found in all sorts of rocks, sand, granite, clay and cement amongst other things. Crystalline silica can cause diseases of the lungs when large quantities are inhaled over a long period.

There are certain professions in which workers are more likely to be exposed to crystalline silica than others. People who work in an occupation that involves cutting stone, drilling rocks, sandblasting, cutting/working with concrete, or manufacturing construction materials. If you have developed an illness due to crystalline silica exposure, you could be able to claim crystalline silica compensation.

To assess your claim, contact us on 0800 808 9740 or online.

Silicosis

The most common illness that crystalline silica causes is silicosis which is when silica dust causes inflammation of the lungs and scarring, taking the form of nodular lesions, in the upper part of the lungs. Symptoms of silicosis include:

• A chronic cough.
• Weakness and tiredness.
• Issues with your ability to breathe.
• Abnormal weight loss.
• Shortness of breath when doing exercise.
• A fever.
• Sweating abnormally during the night.
• Chest pains.
• Swollen legs.
• Blue and swollen lips.

These symptoms can steadily become worse over time as the seriousness of the disease progresses. If the disease continues to progress, some people might eventually have serious difficulty in their ability to be able to even do the simplest of daily activities for. As soon as you realise that you have these symptoms you should seek medical attention and a diagnosis so that you can get treatment.

Furthermore, it is important to note that those who are often suffering from silicosis are often diagnosed with respiratory diseases, especially if they are a known smoker or have a history of smoking. Other common misdiagnoses include tuberculosis and bronchitis. If you have been diagnosed with any of these sorts of illnesses but believe that your symptoms are more in line with silicosis, you should bring this to the attention of a medical professional. This will help to ensure that you can get the correct medical diagnosis.

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Long-Term Impacts of Silicosis

While silicosis can be treated and managed, there is no known cure for silicosis. The long-term impact of living with silicosis can be quite serious and can have a large impact upon the patient’s quality of life. There are a number of conditions that can develop while suffering from silicosis:

• The development of tuberculosis.
• Other chest infections.
• Arthritis.
• Heart failure or heart problems – such as heart murmurs.
• Pulmonary hypertension.
• Kidney disease.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – which is the umbrella term for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. This term includes conditions such as emphysema, damage to the air sacs in the lungs, and chronic bronchitis which is a long-term inflammation of the airways.
• Lung cancer or other similar lung diseases/illnesses.

Claiming crystalline silica compensation can therefore be very important to help ensure that you get the treatment and help that you need to maintain a decent quality of life after crystalline silica exposure.

Employer Responsibility

All employers have a responsibility towards their employees to ensure their safety while they are at work. When working with crystalline silica, your employer should uphold this duty of care by following these steps:

• Provide personal protective equipment (PPE), such as a tight-fitting respirator.
• Provide proper training for all employees so that they know how to safely complete their job role without incident.
• Complete regular risk assessments on the materials that are being worked on/the work environment.
• Regular training updates – ensuring that staff who have been working in their job role for a long time have not forgotten how to safely perform their expected job function.

If your employer has failed to provide these safety functions for you or you believe that they have failed to protect your safety in other ways, you could be able to claim crystalline silica compensation. If you would like to find out more about specific protections for those who work with silica, you can read about the Health and Safety Executive’s guidelines here.

Crystalline Silica Compensation

There are multiple different complications that you could experience due to being exposed to crystalline silica. The amount of medical negligence compensation that you are awarded is therefore unique to each specific case. The amount of medical negligence compensation that you are awarded will be determined by two categories: general damages and special damages.

General Damages

General damages refers to the physical and emotional damage caused by your injuries or illness. In the simplest terms, it refers to compensation for pain and suffering. This type of compensation also covers any losses of amenity, aka a decrease in your ability to function, that has arisen from the injuries sustained in an accident. To view estimates for personal injury types, visit our compensation calculator.

Special Damages

Special damages compensation refers to compensation that covers the financial losses and expenses incurred as a result of an accident or medical negligence. Special damages could help to reclaim a loss of income if you have been unable to work due to the development of a crystalline silica-related illness. Similarly, if you have had to pay to go to a medical appointment or if you had to pay to travel to a medical appointment, you could be able to claim these medical costs back.

Making Personal Injury Claims

If you have suffered a personal injury, you may be entitled to receive compensation. First Personal Injury solicitors are available to assist you and ensure that you win the compensation that you deserve.

First Personal Injury works with both families and individuals across England and Wales, leading them on their legal journey and helping them claim compensation after an accident or injury. Contact our specialist team to begin the process, either by phone on 0800 808 9740 or through our online form.