Work Dermatitis Claims

If you work in an industry where you come into regular contact with chemicals, detergents and toiletries, there is a risk that you might contract work-related dermatitis. Professionals in occupations such as healthcare, hairdressing, cleaning and catering are supposed to be protected from work-related dermatitis by regulations included in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (2007).

These measures include the provision of protective clothing – especially gloves – where necessary, soft cotton or paper disposable towels for thorough drying of the hands and, in some industries, skin moisturisers. Where an employer fails in his duty to protect his staff from work-related dermatitis, he is in breach of these regulations and, should you consequently contract dermatitis, you would be entitled to make a work dermatitis compensation claim.

There are three main causes of dermatitis that would feature in a work dermatitis compensation claim:-

• Irritant Dermatitis – caused by detergents, solvents and oils which dry out the skin
• Allergy Dermatitis – where chemicals in products cause an allergy which develops over time
• Urticaria Dermatitis – existing skin conditions flare up when in contact with certain products

In some cases, even frequent and regular contact with water can cause dermatitis, so effectively anybody could, in theory, contract dermatitis in the workplace and be entitled to make a work dermatitis compensation claim.

Making a Work Dermatitis Compensation Claim

One of the key issues when making a work dermatitis compensation claim is that you have actually acquired work-related dermatitis. The symptoms of all three strains of dermatitis listed above are very similar – dry, red or itchy skin which develops into flaking, blistering or cracking. With every contact made with the offending agent, the symptoms develop a little more until such time as the sufferer is in acute pain.

With any form of dermatitis, as soon you believe that there may be grounds for a work dermatitis compensation claim it is best to first consult with your family doctor. He may advocate the use of antihistamines, antibiotics or cortisone creams to alleviate the condition but will strongly recommend that you stop using whichever agent is causing the dermatitis in the first place.

Once your doctor has confirmed that the cause of your dermatitis is indeed work related, you should speak with a solicitor about a work dermatitis compensation claim. A solicitor will be familiar with the procedures involved in a claim, have up-to-date information about what constitutes a fair award and be able to advise you about what to do in circumstances such as when an employer disputes liability for your work dermatitis.

In order for you to find out more about the benefits of using a solicitor when making a work dermatitis compensation claim, we have established a free advice telephone service on 1-800 989 995

Our service will allow you to speak with an experienced personal injury claims solicitor and have your questions about a work dermatitis compensation claim answered in plain English. We will also, where possible, make a preliminary assessment of your work dermatitis compensation claim and advise you whether there are grounds for a claim which is worth your while to pursue.

All calls to our free advice telephone service are totally confidential and there is no obligation on you to proceed with a claim once you have spoken with us. If you cannot speak now please fill in the form on the left and we will call you back.

Our Promise:

What You Can Expect

In more than twenty years of dealing with compensation claims, we have found that one of the major issues that people face when making a work dermatitis compensation claim is that they are suing their employer. Rather than take sides in a dispute, what we do is to offer impartial and helpful advice to you as a claimant, whilst advising you of your rights and clearing up any conflicting advice you may have received from well-meaning family and friends.

We listen carefully while you tell us how you acquired your work dermatitis, what treatment has been administered by your doctor and how your quality of life has suffered. You are welcome to ask any questions you may feel are appropriate to your work dermatitis compensation claim and we will do our best to answer them for you. We will also make a preliminary assessment as to the likelihood of you being successful with a claim and advise you how long it should take to process.

We usually conclude our conversations by giving you a list of options for taking your work dermatitis compensation claim forward. You are under no obligation to take our advice and proceed with a claim, but by using a solicitor you may find you avoid a potential workplace confrontation should you choose to do so. We are also willing to assess any offers of early settlement proposed by your employer´s insurance company to advise you whether they represent a fair and adequate amount.

Your first course of action should be to give our free advice telephone service a call on 1-800 989 995 (lines are open from 8.00am to 10.00pm)

We also operate a call-back service – so if now is not a convenient time to call, please leave your details in the contact form below and one of our friendly and helpful team will get back in touch.