Industrial Disease Claims — No Win, No Fee Solicitors
Last reviewed: June 2026 · EA Personal Injury Solicitors
If you have developed a medical condition as a result of exposure to hazardous substances or conditions at work, you may be entitled to compensation. EA Personal Injury Solicitors handles all types of industrial disease and occupational illness claim on a no win, no fee basis.
TL;DR — Quick Summary
Key Points
- Industrial disease claims have a three-year limitation period from date of knowledge — not date of exposure
- Claims are possible even against employers that have ceased trading
- Compensation covers the condition itself and all associated financial losses
- Multiple employers may each bear a share of liability
- No win, no fee — if the claim succeeds, a success fee may be deducted from your compensation
What Is an Industrial Disease Claim?
Unlike a sudden workplace accident, industrial diseases develop over time as a result of prolonged exposure to harmful substances, noise levels, vibration or other hazardous working conditions. The fact that the harm was gradual rather than instantaneous does not diminish your legal entitlement to compensation — provided you can show that your employer knew, or ought to have known, of the risk and failed to take adequate protective measures.
Many industrial diseases have long latency periods — years or decades may pass between the initial exposure and the manifestation of symptoms. This is one reason why the three-year limitation period for industrial disease claims runs from the date of knowledge rather than the date of exposure. Even if you were exposed to asbestos in the 1970s, or worked in a noisy factory for twenty years before your hearing deteriorated, you may still be well within the time limit to bring a claim.
Types of Industrial Disease We Handle
Establishing Liability in Industrial Disease Claims
To succeed in an industrial disease claim, you must establish that your employer knew (or should have known) that the type of work you were doing presented a foreseeable risk of harm and failed to take reasonable steps to protect you. Relevant evidence includes your employment records, occupational hygiene measurements, health surveillance records, and expert evidence on the level of exposure and the known state of scientific knowledge about the associated risk at the relevant time.
Compensation in Industrial Disease Claims
As in all personal injury claims, compensation covers general damages (for the disease itself and its consequences for your quality of life) and special damages (for financial losses including lost earnings, medical costs, care costs and future losses). For serious progressive conditions like mesothelioma, significant awards are routinely made.
Further Information
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes statistics and guidance on work-related ill health and occupational diseases in Great Britain.
No Win, No Fee Industrial Disease Claims
We act under a Conditional Fee Agreement. If the claim fails, you pay nothing. If the claim succeeds, a success fee may be deducted from your compensation.