Cancer Compensation Claims

What cancers can I claim compensation for and how much will I get?

Cancer is one of the most common illnesses in UK. It causes thousands of deaths every year. There are many types of cancer, the cause of which can be difficult to identify and a number of which are often caused by smoking, but some cancers can be caused by chemicals or dusts at work.

These include cancer of the lungs, skin, bladder and nasal passages. They all take a long time to develop so it could be many years after you were exposed to dangerous dusts or chemicals that you actually develop a cancer caused by them. You do therefore need to tell your GP about your work history if you think there may be a connection.

The amount of compensation you might get will vary. It depends on how severe your condition is, how long you have had the cancer, and whether it has affected your income or resulted in medical, travel or other expenses. In addition to compensation, you might be entitled to Industrial Injuries Benefit or other government benefits.

If your cancer is in remission we will often recommend that you settle your claim on a provisional basis which means you would be able to go back to court for more money if the cancer comes back.

Lung cancer:  is mainly caused by smoking and/or asbestos dust (see asbestos related diseases) but it can also be caused by other dusts, chemicals, or radiation. The amount you might get could be £60-90,000 plus expenses/loss of income.

A different kind of cancer caused specifically by asbestos, affects the lining of the lung and is called mesothelioma.

Skin cancer:  can be caused by exposure to various chemicals or dusts as well as oils, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

Bladder cancer:  can be caused by chemicals including those used in dye factories, rubber production, gas works, plastics and other chemical industries. Bladder cancer is more usually caused by smoking, so people do not always realise that their past employment might be the cause.

Bladder cancer can often be successfully treated in which case the compensation is likely to be between £15-35,000 but on a provisional basis. It could go up to £90,000 for complete loss of function and something in between for continued pain and /or incontinence, (plus of course any expenses/losses).

• Mr Cookson: Won a Court of Appeal case for bladder cancer caused by chemicals in the manufacturer of anilines dyes. His case settled on a provisional damage basis for £35,000

Nasal cancer: Cancer of the nasal passages can, like a number of other cancers be caused by smoking but it can also be caused by exposure to wood dust, leather dust, flour, glues, formaldehyde, solvents used in furniture and shoe production, textile dusts, nickel and chromium dusts.

• Leslie Smith: Won £95,000 on a provisional damage basis for nasal cancer caused by wood dust
• Kenneth Mitchell: Died of nasal cancer leaving a young family and his widow Deborah has now received an out of court settlement of £375,000

Industrial disease claims

To arrange a free 'no obligation' discussion with an industrial disease solicitor click here or call us on 0800 0384 384. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.