£55,000 for poisoning from a hazardous substance | Case Study

Compensation for an ethyl acetate poisoning claim of £55,000 was awarded to a 42 year-old man for injuries caused by inhaling a hazardous substance during his employment.

See also:

Hazardous substances claims

Injury details

The claimant was employed by the defendant as a pipe fitter/joiner.

During the course of his employment when aged 42 the defendant was accidentally exposed to ethyl acetate. The exposure lasted for approximately 30 minutes but caused the claimant to suffer from headaches and nausea the symptoms persisting for some time and causing the claimant to have five weeks off work.

The exposure also increased the chances of the claimant developing cirrhosis of the liver by 10% which also increased the chance of the claimant contracting liver cancer

The claimant suffered from depression which ultimately resulted in him losing his job at which stage he also lost his job.

Allegation

It was alleged that the defendant was negligent insofar as they failed to provide the claimant with a safe working environment.

The claimant alleged that he had suffered from an increased risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver and possibly liver cancer due to the defendant's negligence. He alleged that his depression and mood swings were also a result of the defendant's negligence.

Settlement and conclusion

The matter progressed to a Court hearing.

Compensation of £12,500 was awarded by the Court award for "pain, suffering and loss of amenity". The remainder of the compensation was made up of past and future losses.

Disclaimer

Case studies are for informational purposes only and aim to help prospective claimants understand the injury claim process. They are based on cases handled by Quittance panel solicitors or sourced from public court records.