Silicosis Compensation New South Wales and Victoria

What is silicosis?

Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in tiny particles of silica dust. Silica dust is a mineral found in the earth’s crust and is contained in materials such as quartz, sand, stone, granite and brick among others. The disease causes scarring, swelling and fluid build-up in the lungs that interferes with a person’s ability to breathe and can advance to progressive massive fibrosis, with life-threatening consequences. Silicosis has no cure.

Industries where workers may be at risk of exposure to silica include:

• Mining
• Construction work
• Engineering
• Stonemasonry

This is not a comprehensive list and exposure to silica dust can be encountered in other industries. If your work involves the below, you may have been exposed to silica dust and should register your exposure in case you develop silicosis or another lung disease in the future. This will help us to support you to claim compensation.

• breaking, crushing, grinding or milling material containing silica dust
• sandblasting or casting
• paving, surfacing or cement finishing
• bricklaying
• demolition work
• road construction
• stonemasonry
• mineral ore-treating processes
• manufacture of glass, ceramics, brick, concrete, tile, metals or machinery.

Register your exposure to silicosis

Exposure to silica can take years or even decades to develop to the point where obvious symptoms of silicosis arise. Strict time limits can apply for bringing silicosis claims, so it is important to seek legal advice as quickly as possible upon diagnosis and to record the details of your silica exposure - this will assist to support a claim for compensation.

Silicosis claim process

1. Document your exposure - if you know that you have been exposed to silica dust, either at work or in a non-occupational setting, document your exposure using our silicosis register, or by using the form below. This will help us to support your claim if you are diagnosed at a later date.
2. Suspect you are ill? See your doctor - be explicit about the industry that you work in and what your concerns are as some diseases will not turn up on initial scans.
3. Receive diagnosis? Request a medical certificate from your doctor.
4. Contact Shine Lawyers and speak with an expert silicosis lawyer as quickly as possible as strict time limits apply.
5. We will support you to make a claim for compensation and can help to speed up the legal process. We can investigate and bring negligence claims against the entities responsible for your injuries. We can also assist you with accessing statutory entitlements, such as workers compensation if you were a worker when you were exposed and superannuation benefits if you are unable to work because of your condition.
6. We’re on your side and offer our services with a no win, no fee guarantee, meaning that you don’t pay for our legal services unless we are successful.

Making a silicosis compensation claim

Workers who develop silicosis or other dust diseases in the workplace may be able to claim compensation for their injuries. We have expert silicosis lawyers who work on a No Win No Fee* basis. Contact us to discuss your claim.

If you are unable to meet with one of our specialist lawyers face-to-face, we can easily convene with you remotely by way of telephone or video conference to take instructions and advise.