Silicosis claim win for ex miner with many jobs

Corries have won a silicosis claim after a five year battle to secure life changing compensation for a victim who worked on many jobs including mining.

Corries are UK leading industrial chest disease lawyers. We fight hard to get you the justice and compensation you deserve. Read here about how we helped a man with no diagnosis of silicosis get the justice he deserved.

Call Corries work disease claims team FREE on 0800 083 7839.

Silicosis claim- a hidden killer

Our client Mr H contacted our firm five years ago. He had been having problems with his chest and was having various tests and investigations made. Now he was living in Scotland after a life working on both sides of the border.

He had been exposed to a lot of dust firstly working for the National Coal Board but also with many other companies in quarrying, civil engineering and tunneling work throughout the UK.

His works records showed he had worked for over thirty companies during his working life.

Sadly, his home life was more difficult as, in addition to his chest problems he was a loving carer to his wife. His breathing problems made this harder for him and he was worried what the future might bring.

Corries have won many silicosis claims before and an example of such a case is here:- https://www.corries.co.uk/silicosis-claim-win-for-former-coal-miner-will-help-thousands-suffering-in-silence/

Silicosis – the many dusts

Silica dust is everywhere. Typically, to prove a diagnosis of silicosis you need to show that you were exposed to high levels of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) found in many dusts particularly when mining or tunneling. it can appear in various places such as in construction, in foundry work and working with stonemasons and bricklayers.

Mr H had a wide and varied working life with over 30 former employers. He struggled to remember what he did with some of them.

It became important to work out who was likely to have exposed him to dust and those that did not. We drew help from the Health and Safety executive see https://www.hse.gov.uk/lung-disease/silicosis.htm

Our team spent many hours sat with Mr H to try and work this out. We used his medical records to plot out where he was in his younger life and had to draft several statements. When the case was put to the defendants there were many queries raised which we had to go over with him. It is not surprising that there were some difficulties stitching together what had gone on during his working life.by the defendants.

The medical perspective

Silicosis is not commonly understood by many doctors. Few will come across it in practice and less will know how to diagnose it and how to suggest any help.

Mr H had seen his doctors over many years who had used the term COPD and had offered him inhalers and to keep his heath under review. None were able to understand fully what was going on and what had led him to his poor state of health.

At Corries we appreciate that the pressures on the NHS mean that the doctors do not always have the time to properly establish a patient’s history. Not many doctors have the time or experience to see how this history might unlock how this might be affecting their health in their older years.

Our team at Corries have the experience of seeing x rays and scans. To us it was clear that there was more at play here. Silicosis often causes nodules in the lungs which can be confused for other things. These nodules never get better and can get worse as a patient gets older.

We knew we had to get some well informed support to get to the bottom of this.

Silicosis claim – Corries access to doctors

Over the years Corries have built up a panel of the UK’s leading industrial chest disease medical experts. Many have several decades of experience working with patients who have been exposed to different dusts and fumes. Our expert Dr T had such experience and was able to give supporting evidence. He knew a radiologist who had experience in the field.

Together we had a picture of silicosis adding to a poor general state of health.

We put the case to the defendants.

Patience pays

It was then that the enormity of the case and the vested interests of the different defendants came to the fore. The case was contested on every front. Exposure to dust was denied, issues about the dangers of silica were raised and more importantly the diagnosis was disputed.

The defendants got their own expert and the two experts had a series of meetings.

During this time we pestered and kept at the defendants and encouraged them to get together. Some companies fell by the wayside and some came on board. We boiled the number of companies involved down to nine.

Court proceedings were used but we agreed to suspend the case to try and achieve settlement.

Silicosis – the case settled

After lengthy meetings and discussions with the defendants an offer was eventually agreed with eight of the nine defendants. A hefty five figure sum in compensation was agreed and has been paid to Mr H.

Mr H has his money and he can plan with his wife for a more comfortable life.

Corries Director/Solicitor Howard Bonnett who won the claim commented:-

“Silicosis is in my opinion a hugely underreported condition. I am positive that there are thousands of men out there who have the condition and either have no knowledge of it themselves and do not have the medical support from their doctors.

I implore such people to come forward. Many will not have silicosis but for those that do then a silicosis claim might really help them and their family. By contacting us we can take the time to talk to them about their work and to see if there is a viable claim.

We can work with their doctors and help them signpost the help they need.

At Corries we always take the time to listen. We pride ourselves that we take the time to care“

Call our team now if you think you might have silicosis – call us FREE on 0800 083 7839.