Bladder cancer
compensation claims

If an illness has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Exposure to certain chemicals and unsafe working conditions can increase the risk of bladder cancer. Individuals diagnosed with this illness potentially linked to their working environment may have grounds for a compensation claim.

If you have been affected by bladder cancer, we can help. If your injuries were caused by someone else's actions or negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

With over 10,000 bladder cancer diagnoses each year, you are not alone

Bladder cancer is one of the more frequently diagnosed cancers and it is often more prevalent in older adults, and in particular in men. Risk factors include smoking, chronic bladder inflammation, and a family history.

A significant proportion of cases are, caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals (carcinogens) at work. Chemicals used in the plastics, petroleum, rubber and tanning industries are known to increase the risk.

There are around 10,300 new bladder cancer cases in the UK every year (cancerresearchuk.org).

Although the condition leads to over 5,000 deaths each year, around half of these are thought to be preventable. day. 42% of these cases are considered to be preventable.

If you are diagnosed with bladder cancer due to someone else's negligence, or if you have suffered as a result of a missed diagnosis, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim.

If you decide to make a bladder cancer claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.

If you are looking for information on bladder cancer symptoms and treatment, see: bladder cancer (nhs.uk).

See also:

Making a work injury claim

How much compensation can I claim for a bladder cancer?

The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:

• the seriousness of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Special damages

Special damages are awarded to compensate you for any costs or losses you've incurred or might incur as a result of your accident. These costs might include loss of wages, commission and any other income income, or any other out of pocket expenses.

Special damages may also be awarded for medical treatments or procedures that you might need to treat your bladder cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

Average bladder cancer general damages compensation

The following bladder cancer payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, Sixteenth Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).

These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.

Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).

Causes bladder cancer in the workplace

Workplace exposure to certain chemicals significantly increases the risk of developing bladder cancer, particularly in industries like chemical manufacturing, leather tanning, petroleum, plastics, printing, rubber and tire making, metal casting, dye manufacture, and painting and decorating.

Bladder cancer can take over 25 years to develop following exposure to carcinogens. Many current diagnoses are linked to now banned chemicals used in the past, such as azo dyes and arylamines.

If bladder cancer develops later in life due to an employer's negligence in exposing you to carcinogens, it's often possible to establish a connection between the exposure and the disease.

Is my employer liable?

Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees from harm. This obligation is laid down by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and, more specifically for bladder cancer, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).

Where a known carcinogen cannot be eliminated, for example because the chemical is a necessary component of the manufacturing process, then an employer must protect workers by:

• Installing barriers, ventilation and other safety measures
• Providing personal protective equipment such as breathing masks, goggles and safety clothing
• Training staff on the potential risks of the hazardous chemical and the correct safety procedures
• Providing regular health screening

If an employer fails to follow any of these requirements and a worker is later diagnosed with bladder cancer they could be held liable. However, it must be established that the bladder cancer is a direct result of workplace exposure to a carcinogenic chemical.

Read more:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) injury claims

What if I am a smoker?

Smoking can increase the risk of developing bladder cancer by up to four times. Where a claimant both works with carcinogenic chemicals and smokes, it can be difficult to determine whether the chemical exposure or the smoking caused the disease.

A personal injury claim may still be possible under these circumstances. During a medical examination arranged by an injury lawyer, a cancer specialist will ask questions regarding past and current employment to ascertain whether workplace exposure was a likely cause.

Bladder cancer claim case study

Bladder cancer compensation of £220,000 was awarded to a 58 year-old man for a delay in diagnosing bladder cancer leading to radical surgery and chemotherapy that would have been unnecessary otherwise.

The claimant began to experience problems passing water and blood in his urine. He attended accident and emergency being diagnosed with haematuria, a kidney condition.

A letter was sent by A&E instructing his GP to refer the man to a urologist. The GP failed to carry out the referral or advise the claimant.

The symptoms continued for a year. After this time the man returned to A&E complaining of haematuria again. A diagnosis of a urinary tract infection was made.

The hospital again referred the findings to the claimant's GP.

A month later the claimant was referred to a urologist. A cancerous tumour on his bladder was found.

Treatment commenced, including systemic chemotherapy. Eight months later surgery to remove his bladder, prostate and urethra was carried out.

Following treatment the man was confined to a wheelchair for six weeks. He had pain in his feet and could only walk short distances with sticks. His hearing was reduced. He suffered a lack of sensation and hypersensitivity from the chemotherapy. He also had to wear a stoma bag after his cystectomy.

As a result of the delayed bladder cancer diagnosis, the claimant was at risk of dying prematurely and his life expectancy was reduced.

NHS bladder cancer negligence

The GP failed to refer the claimant to an urologist. This failure to refer the claimant to a suitable consultant delayed diagnosis and treatment of his bladder cancer. The radical surgery and chemotherapy would not have been necessary had the referral been made.

Bladder cancer claim settlement

Liability was admitted and compensation of £220,000 was accepted in an out-of-court settlement. £80,000 of the damages was attributed to "pain, suffering and loss of amenity."

Compensation for past care and assistance was awarded in the sum of £40,000. £100,000 was also allocated to future care and assistance as well as equipment and accommodation costs.

What happened?

The compensation process will depend on what caused your illness. Click the icons below to learn more:

Work accidents Public places Medical negligence Other accidents

Citations

Author:
Chris Salmon, Director

About the author

Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Injury Claims. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.