At a recent doctor’s appointment I was informed that I may have a lung condition and am interested in interested in learning about how to claim compensation for work-related pneumoconiosis. My doctor told me that it is likely I developed the condition while working as a coal miner between five and 10 years ago, and advised me to seek further advice. Am I entitled to claim for compensation?
Before being able to claim compensation for work-related pneumoconiosis you must first establish whether or not you have the condition. You should do as your doctor advised and undergo a full medical examination at the first possible opportunity. Not only will this help you to establish whether you have the condition and safeguard your own health, the medical report with which you will be issued will serve as a vital piece of evidence in your claim for compensation. Although it may often be difficult to pinpoint the date on which a condition first began affecting the body, it is always important to undergo a medical examination as soon as one is discovered.
Once you have established that you are indeed suffering from work-related pneumoconiosis as your doctor believes, you may be able to pursue compensation. To claim compensation for work-related pneumoconiosis you first be able to prove that you former employer is responsible – at least to a degree – for the development of your condition. In order to do this you must be able to prove that that they failed in their duty of care toward you, meaning To you must be able to show that they failed in their duty of care, and that you had to work in an environment which was not suitable for mining coal.
Gathering evidence such as witness statements from former co-workers, photographic evidence of the conditions in which you worked, and any reports on previous cases similar to yours, may be helpful in proving that your former employer is responsible for your condition.
Conditions like work-related pneumoconiosis can often take years to become apparent, and pursuing a claim in these conditions can often be difficult. In order to have the best chance of succeeding and being awarded the most compensation possible, It is essential that you enlist the help of an experienced solicitor when pursuing a claim compensation for work-related pneumoconiosis.