Could you have an industrial disease claim?
An industrial disease is an illness caused by your work, and you may be able to claim against a current or former employer even years after the exposure. This checker asks about your condition, your work history and timing, then indicates whether a claim is worth exploring. It is a starting point, not a decision on your case.
How it works
Tell the screener about the condition you have been diagnosed with, the kind of work you did, and roughly when you were exposed and when you were diagnosed. It looks at whether the illness is one commonly linked to work and whether the timing fits the usual rules for claiming.
Many industrial illnesses take years, sometimes decades, to appear — conditions linked to asbestos, dust, chemicals, noise or repeated strain often surface long after the job ended. Because of that, the deadline for claiming usually runs from when you were diagnosed, not from when you were exposed.
Employers who are no longer trading are not necessarily a dead end. Claims of this kind are often met by the insurer that covered the business at the time, and tracing that insurer is part of the work we can do.
The result is an indication only. Whether a claim succeeds depends on medical evidence and the history of your exposure, which need proper assessment. If the checker suggests there may be something to look at, the sensible next step is to talk it through.
Questions about Could you have an industrial disease claim?
Yes. Most industrial disease claims are against past employers, sometimes from many years ago. What matters is showing that the work exposed you to the cause of your illness and that the employer should have protected you from it.
Often, yes. Claims for industrial disease are usually handled by the insurer that covered the employer at the time of your exposure, so the business itself no longer needing to exist. Tracing the relevant insurer is something we can help with.
In practice, yes — a medical diagnosis linking your condition to your work is central to a claim. If you are worried about symptoms but have not been diagnosed, your first step should be your GP or a specialist.
No. It gives an indication of whether a claim may be worth exploring, based on what you enter. Whether a claim succeeds depends on medical evidence and your exposure history, which need proper assessment by a solicitor.
Yes. Anything you tell us is treated in confidence, and nothing you enter into the checker is stored unless you submit the callback form.
An industrial disease is any illness caused or made worse by your work. Common examples include asbestos-related conditions, occupational asthma and other lung disease, industrial deafness, and conditions caused by exposure to dust, fumes or chemicals.
Have a question that isn't covered here? Speak to one of our specialists directly.
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