Chemical Exposure Injury Claim Solicitors.

The Personal Injury Team is recognised in Tier 2 for the West Midlands in the 2025 edition of the Legal 500, which states: ‘The ‘very client-centred’ team at Lanyon Bowdler is ably led by Dawn Humphries who is based at the Shrewsbury office. Humphries excels in serious brain and spinal injuries. She is also well-regarded for her work on employers’ liability claims that arise from accidents at work, particularly at construction sites. Telford-based Debbie Humphries is recommended for her representation of clients who have sustained life-changing injuries. Phillip Roberts is at the Hereford office, and has particular experience in areas such as accident at work cases and loss of limbs claims. Associate Karen Clarke is another notable member of the practice’.

The 2025 of the Legal 500 includes the following work highlights:

Represented claimant in PI claim against a well-known sporting activities franchise, where claimant sustained a C5 fracture of the neck rendering him tetraplegic, resulting in a claim estimated to be worth over £10m.

Represented claimant in PI claim against employer, having sustained fractures to L2, 3, 4 and 5 after falling from a roof. Contentious evidence in respect of quantum led to negotiations which successfully secured a £500,000 settlement for the client.

Represented claimant via their litigation friend in a PI claim against a defendant driver, successfully negotiating a settlement of £2.9m ahead of a liability trial.

Chambers UK 2025 rank the department in Band 1 in the Midlands and states ‘Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors is a leading Shropshire firm advising on an extensive breadth of personal injury cases, including high-value RTA and accident-at-work claims. The firm is particularly experienced in acting for clients with spinal and cerebral injuries. The team is skilled in handling military cases and accidents abroad. It also works alongside clinical negligence and Court of Protection teams to fully support clients’.

Strengths

“The team are always friendly and nothing is a problem for them.”

“All communication was appropriately fast and always put into suitable non-legal layman terms.”

Dawn Humphries handles a wide range of orthopaedic and spinal injury claims. She is active on an array of personal injury cases, including those relating to workplace accidents and RTAs.

“She is really on the ball and is open to having a discussion on how to improve the case.”

Debbie Humphries is highlighted for her experience in handling a full range of severe injury matters, including motor incidents and accidents at work.

“Debbie supports her clients with a balance of compassion and sector knowledge.”

The symptoms of a chemical exposure injury will typically vary depending on the type of chemical that you were exposed to, and the way in which you were exposed. For example, ingesting a hazardous chemical will cause your body to exhibit different symptoms than if that same chemical is inhaled or spilled onto the skin.

Some of the common signs and symptoms associated with chemical exposure injuries include:

• Skin redness/irritation
• Respiratory problems
• Nausea and vomiting
• Eye irritation/weeping
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Loss of consciousness

If you experience any of these symptoms, or any other worrying signs, after being exposed to a hazardous chemical, it is important to seek medical help as soon as possible. If your injury was caused due to somebody else’s negligence, we can help you to seek compensation once your treatment is underway and you’re feeling well enough to cope with the legal case.

Some chemical injuries may heal fully, allowing the individual to move on with their lives relatively unscathed. However, some injuries caused by exposure to chemicals can have long lasting effects and can lead to the individual developing an illness or condition ranging from mild to severe and life changing.

Some of the potential long-term complications that can arise from a chemical exposure injury include:

• Skin problems like dermatitis and eczema
• A minor rash or skin irritation/redness
• Extremely irritated, cracked, or blistered skin
• Areas of black, dead skin, or necrosis
• Pain or numbness in the affected part of the body
• Blurred vision or partial/complete loss of sight
• Respiratory problems like asthma or emphysema
• Chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD)
• Urinary tract problems like infections or bladder cancer
• Organ damage that leads to cancer e.g. liver, kidney
• Nervous system problems such as Parkinson’s disease

Sometimes a chemical injury may seem superficial at first, but the problems listed above can develop many months or even years after your initial accident. For example, lung disease can take a long time to develop after being exposed to whichever chemical caused it. In fact, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) there are approximately 12000 deaths from lung disease each year which are linked to past exposure to a chemical at work.

There are a wide range of chemicals used across a variety of different industries in the UK, but some of the ones most commonly associated with a risk of chemical exposure injuries include:

• Ammonia
• Arsenic
• Benzene
• Cadmium
• Chlorine
• Cobalt
• Hydrofluoric acid
• Latex
• Mercury
• Metal inert and active gases
• Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK)
• Silica
• Sodium hydroxide
• Solvents
• Sulphuric Acid

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many other chemicals that you may be exposed to depending on the industry in which you work and the type of job that you do.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 your employer has a legal obligation to protect you from harm in the workplace as far as is reasonably possible. When your line of work involves the use of hazardous chemicals, your employer must also ensure that all employees are informed of all potential hazards, what the workplace exposure limit is, and the results of any exposure monitoring that is carried out on site. Your employer should also ensure that all employees are fully trained in the accident and emergency protocols of the workplace.

Workplaces that handle hazardous substances must also adhere to the legislation set out in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). This involves your employer carrying out a risk assessment to ensure that all potential risks are identified, and actions are taken to minimise the chances of harm occurring. One of the key ways to minimise the potential harm that can be caused by chemical exposure is to provide employees with appropriate PPE, including overalls, gloves, goggles, protective footwear, goggles, face protection, hazmat suits, and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Your employer owes you a duty of care to ensure that the PPE and RPE with which you are provided is appropriate for the job. For example, if you are working with a chemical in liquid form, fabric gloves won’t be adequate as they are porous, therefore neoprene gloves are much more suitable. If your employer has failed in their duty of care, and you have either been provided with inadequate PPE, or no PPE at all, and you have sustained a chemical injury as a result, we can help you to claim the compensation you deserve.