What is Industrial Lung Disease?
(Also known as Occupational Lung Disease, Pneumoconiosis, Pulmonary Fibrosis (Fibrosing Alveolitis), Interstitial Lung Disease or Industrial Dust Disease).
The term "Pneumoconiosis" refers to a group of lung diseases caused by the inhalation and retention of dusts in the lungs. This encompasses the majority of Industrial Lung diseases and is sometimes termed Industrial Dust Disease. These include:
- Asbestosis
- Asthma
- Silicosis
- Coal Miners Pneumoconiosis (Black lung)
- Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis & Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
- Berylliosis
- Byssinosis
- Caplan's Syndrome
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Emphysema
- Chronic Bronchitis
Many of these Industrial Diseases cause Interstitial Lung Damage and Pulmonary Fibrosis, an excess development of connective tissue within the lungs, leading to impaired lung function and can be refereed to as Interstitial Lung Diseases or Fibrosing Alveolitis. In chronic conditions these may lead to various Cancers of the lung such as Mesothelioma, Adenocarcinoma or Squamous cell carcinoma.
What should I do if I am suffering from an Industrial Lung Disease?
The first step if suffering from any Industrial Lung Disease would be to call us so we can assess your claim for compensation and advise you on whether you will be eligible to claim.
The second step is to go see your GP who will need to take an in-depth history and establish a relationship between your symptoms and possible exposure to a causative agent. Breathlessness is a key symptom & Lung function tests will probably be performed alongside a CT scan, chest X-ray and possible biopsy.
Further to this any medical(s) instigated by our solicitors will cost you nothing, they will be paid for by the solicitor and claimed back as a disbursement from the other side.
This information presented here is not intended to be exhaustive, it is an overview and is designed to give an idea of the variety of industrial diseases and their possible prospective causes. Suffering from one of the diseases mentioned does not necessarily mean you will have a successful claim or be able to claim compensation.
