Silicosis claims

If you have developed silicosis from exposure to silica dust in the workplace, you could be entitled to make a silicosis compensation claim.

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Silicosis Claims

Silicosis is a rare long-term disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust found in sand, rock and mineral ores. Over time, the silica builds up in the lungs and airways, causing inflammation and scarred tissue.

Silicosis causes persistent cough, shortness of breath, weakness and tiredness and can ultimately be fatal if the lungs stop working adequately. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the condition, but certain treatments are available to alleviate symptoms.

Some industries, such as construction, mining, demolition and paving, have an increased risk of silicosis. Employers have a duty of care to take all reasonable measures to protect employees against silica dust. If your employer neglected their responsibilities, you might be able to make a silicosis claim.

To find out if you are eligible for silicosis compensation, call 0800 470 0472 or enter your details into our online claim form to receive a free consultation with a legal adviser.

Key points about silicosis claims

Eligibility: You may be eligible to claim if you developed silicosis from long-term exposure to silica dust in your workplace.
Employer Responsibility: Employers must provide protective equipment, adequate ventilation, and health monitoring in high-risk industries.
Time Limit: You generally have 3 years from diagnosis or knowledge of the condition to start a claim, although there are exceptions.
Compensation: May cover respiratory issues, disability, lost earnings, and medical treatment costs.
No Win, No Fee: Your solicitor will pursue your silicosis claim on a no win no fee basis, with no cost unless the claim is successful.

Table of Contents

Can I make a silicosis claim?

If you were diagnosed with silicosis, it might be due to your employer’s negligence. A free consultation with a legal adviser is the easiest way to find out if you can make a silicosis compensation claim against them. The legal adviser will evaluate the merits of your case and give you advice on whether or not your claim is valid.

As a general rule, you should be eligible to make a silicosis claim if you have valid proof that:

Your employer breached their duty of care towards you by acting negligently
You were exposed to silica dust as a result
This caused you to develop silicosis

If your case is valid, your solicitor will arrange a free consultation with a medical professional to help establish a connection between your condition and possible exposure in your work environment.

If you have been diagnosed with the condition, you could claim silicosis compensation in one of the following ways:

Claim an industrial injuries disablement benefit, which entitles you to receive a weekly payment if you are exposed to silica in your working environment unless you are self-employed.
Launch a civil silicosis claim in the UK court with the help of a professional solicitor.
Claim a lump sum payment under the Workers Compensation Act 1979 if you have silicosis or are the dependant of someone who has died from the condition.

Most civil claims for silicosis compensation are funded with a no win no fee* agreement. If your solicitor believes you have a fair chance to receive compensation for your condition, they will not ask for any upfront fees. Instead, you receive support and advice throughout the claims process and do not have to pay your solicitor at all if your claim fails.

What is silicosis?

Silicosis is a respiratory disease that affects people that have inhaled a large quantity of silica dust, typically over a long period of time. The mineral silica is a fine dust released in the air when certain types of stone, clay, rock and sand are cut, broken, drilled or crushed.

Once inside the lungs, the silica dust causes inflammation that irreversibly damages the lung tissue. The affected structures have a role in oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, which is why the scarring caused by silicosis leads to breathing difficulties.

In the United Kingdom, there have been an average of 12 deaths per year from silicosis over the last ten years and around 30 estimated new cases each year. There are no specific tests for the condition, so it may take multiple visits and investigations to get a diagnosis, such as:

A chest X-ray or CT scan to check your lungs for scars and assess how much damage has been done;
Lung function tests measure how much air you can breathe in and out in one forced breath to measure your lungs’ capacity;
Sputum test to help evaluate other lung diseases, such as tuberculosis;
A bronchoscopy, which involves passing a small tube with an attached video camera into your windpipe and lungs to check for damage;
A surgical biopsy can be used to get a sample of lung tissue for further testing.

Your doctor will also take into account your smoking history, work history, medical history, hobbies and any other activities that could have exposed you to silica dust.

There are three main types of silicosis that could potentially lead to a silicosis compensation claim:

Acute silicosis is a rare form of the disease caused by brief exposure to very large amounts of silica. Symptoms can appear within a few weeks and may be very severe, including chest pain and breathing difficulties.
Chronic silicosis is the most common type, where symptoms usually appear decades after exposure to low or moderate amounts of silica. These are usually mild at first and gradually worsen and cause shortness of breath and a dry cough.
Accelerated silicosis is seen in workers exposed to larger quantities of silica over a shorter duration, usually 5 to 15 years. The symptoms appear much earlier and are typically much worse than those of chronic silicosis.

If you have been diagnosed with any type of silicosis, you might be entitled to silicosis compensation. To find out if you have valid grounds to take legal action, call 0800 470 0472 or request a call back to receive a free consultation with a legal adviser.

What are the symptoms of silicosis?

Usually, silicosis progresses slowly, and symptoms take years or even decades to develop. The early symptoms are mild and often overlooked, which makes the condition often challenging to diagnose. In most cases, the symptoms are advanced, and the lung damage is irreversible by the time you are diagnosed.

Early symptoms of the disease include a nagging cough, phlegm and trouble breathing. If the condition continues to worsen, the symptoms may become more severe and include:

Respiratory problems
Breathlessness that gets worse after physical exertion
Chest pain
Fatigue
Loss of appetite and weight loss
Prolonged fever that comes on suddenly
Persistent coughing
Blue lips and darkening of the skin
Swollen legs
Rapid breathing that may sound like wheezing

As the condition progresses, simple activities like walking can become very difficult, and the victim may be largely confined to their house. In rare cases, silicosis can also increase the risk of developing other severe illnesses, such as:

Tuberculosis and other chest infections
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Lung cancer
Scleroderma
Arthritis
Heart failure
Kidney disease
Chronic bronchitis

There is no cure for silicosis, but there are some things you can do to relieve symptoms and help you manage the disease, including:

Medications such as inhaled steroids and bronchodilators are used to relax your airways
Oxygen therapy helps you get more air into your lungs and reduce fatigue
Lung transplant surgery, in very severe situations
If you are a smoker, advice on stopping smoking
Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly
Make sure you are not exposed to any more silica
Have regular tests to check for tuberculosis
Have the annual flu vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine

If you have a valid claim for silicosis compensation, your solicitor will help you gain access to the best rehabilitation treatments to help you cope with your condition.

Which jobs are most at risk of silicosis?

While the health and safety standards in the UK have improved, statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that around 12 people die every year due to silicosis. While this number seems low, the HSE believes that the number of cases is substantially underestimated when taking into account the other diseases it may cause and the likely extent of past exposure in Britain.

People who work with silica-containing materials such as quartz, rocks, sand and glass are most at risk for developing the condition. As such, claims for silicosis compensation are more common among workers in the following industries:

Construction
Mining and quarry works
Stonemasonry and bricklaying
Foundry work
Sandblasting
Worktop manufacturing and fitting
Pottery and ceramics
Glass manufacturing
Farming

It is not only employees in the above industries that can make a silicosis claim. If you have been exposed to silica dust due to negligence from any employer or third party, your solicitor will help you identify the responsible party and take legal action against them.

Is my employer liable for my silicosis claim?

Silicosis is an industrial respiratory disease that can severely interfere with your daily activities and ultimately be fatal. It is caused by exposure to silica dust and should be prevented if employers follow the best practices dictated by health and safety policies.

Several pieces of legislation cover what duties employers have to minimise the dangers of silicosis in the workplace, including:

These pieces of legislation impose far-reaching obligations on employers to avoid or minimise the risks of dangers such as silica exposure. These obligations include the following:

Carry out risk assessments to determine whether the work environment is hazardous
Advise employees on what the hazards and risks are
Provide adequate safety training and explain what the exposure limits are
Educate workers about the safe handling of silica dust
Provide appropriate and complimentary personal protective equipment, such as masks, goggles, filters or a respirator
Have proper control measures in place to keep exposure to silica dust to a minimum
Carry out regular inspection and equipment maintenance

If your employer has breached the health and safety regulations and failed to take all reasonable measures to keep you safe from harm, you might be able to make a silicosis compensation claim.

How long do I have to make a silicosis compensation claim?

According to the Limitation Act 1980, you generally need to start a silicosis claim within three years of becoming aware of your illness and that it might be linked to your workplace. Once the claim limitation date passes, your case becomes statute-barred, and you may lose your chance to receive compensation.

When it is fair and reasonable to do so, the court has the power to overrule the three-year time limit to claim. This will depend on the length and reason for your delay, the steps you took to obtain expert advice and how reasonably you acted once you learned you might be able to take legal action.

If your illness occurred while you were working abroad, the time limit to bring a silicosis compensation claim could be shorter than three years. In this case, it is essential that you contact a professional solicitor as soon as possible.

If you lost someone due to silicosis, you have three years to make a claim, whether from the date your loved one passed away or when you received the post-mortem results.

As a general rule, the sooner you seek legal advice, the better. This will give your solicitor sufficient time to investigate your case and gather evidence to support your silicosis claim. Furthermore, most solicitors will not take on a case with less than six months left to the limitation date, even if it has merit.

To start your claim, speak to a trained legal adviser by calling 0800 470 0472 for a free consultation. Alternatively, you can request a call back by entering your details into our online claim form.

Can I still claim silicosis compensation if my employer has gone out of business?

If you have worked in an industry that creates silica dust, you might be able to claim silicosis compensation even if your employer is no longer trading. This is often the case with silicosis claims, seeing as the condition will usually take several decades to show symptoms.

If your employer has gone out of business, your solicitor will track down their former insurer and claim silicosis compensation from them. Companies have for many years been legally required to have employer’s liability insurance against personal injury to workers, and this insurance may still cover a valid silicosis claim even if your employer has gone out of business.

The insurance industry has set out The Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (ELTO), an independent non-profit body that gives claimants easy access to their employer’s liability insurance data. Your solicitor will use the ELTO platform and the records held at Companies House to help trace the insurers of your former employer and, where possible, pursue compensation on your behalf.

However, if both your former employer and their insurer are out of business or untraceable, it might not be possible to make a claim.

How much could a silicosis compensation claim be worth?

As with other personal injury claims, there is no fixed amount awarded in a silicosis claim. The compensation you can expect will depend on several different factors, such as the type and severity of your illness and lost wages. Your solicitor will carefully consider your injury and all of your financial losses, taking into account the following:

Special damages, awarded for the financial losses and expenses caused by silicosis, such as:

The cost of diagnostic tests, medical visits and hospitalisation
Prescriptions and other medical treatments
Past and future loss of earnings
Your care and support needs, both now and in the future
Adaptations to your home or vehicle
Travel expenses to and from medical appointments

General damages, awarded for the illness itself and how it affected your life, including:

Physical pain and suffering
Emotional and psychological trauma
Mental anguish
Lowered quality of life
Reduced life expectancy
Loss of consortium or companionship
Physical impairment
Loss of prospects and enjoyment of life

Your solicitor will work out a suitable settlement to reflect the past and future financial expenses related to your illness. The compensation for pain, suffering, and other general damages is awarded in accordance with the 18th Edition of the guidelines published by the Judicial College and can range from a few thousand to more than £150,000.

Examples of compensation levels recommended by the Judicial College include the following:

Injury Type	Description	Compensation
Lung Disease	Slight breathlessness with no work impact and likely recovery within a few years of exposure	£14,000 - £27,000
	Bronchitis and wheezing without serious symptoms and limited impact on work or social life	£27,000 - £41,000
	Breathing difficulties requiring an inhaler and significantly affecting work and social life	£41,000 - £72,000
	Lung disease, such as emphysema, significantly affecting lung function and breathing, with frequent coughing and restricted activity	£72,000 - £93,000
	Lung cancer causing severe pain and reduced lung function and quality of life	£93,000 - £129,000
	Lung disease in a young person causing serious disability and likely worsening leading to premature death	£133,000 - £180,000

To find out how much compensation you could claim, use our online claim form or call 0800 470 0472 to speak to a legal adviser.

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*Personal injury claims are provided on a no win no fee basis. If your claim is successful, your solicitor will receive a success fee of up to 25% of your compensation. If any additional costs could be payable, such as taking out legal protection insurance, these would be fully explained upfront by your solicitor before you decide to proceed with your claim. Termination fees may apply based on time spent on your case, or in situations such as: lack of cooperation, deliberately misleading your solicitor, failing to attend scheduled medical or expert examinations, or not appearing at a required court hearing. Please visit our guide to no win no fee claims page for further information.

Last edited on 14th Aug 2026

Nicholas Tate (LLB Hons, LLM in Health Law) has over 15 years’ experience in the legal industry, with specialist knowledge of personal injury and medical negligence claims.