Mr O suffered a potentially fatal illness as a result of an accident at work; he made a compensation claim with the help of Oakwood Solicitors in Leeds.

Mr O contracted Weil’s disease from exposure to rats in the workplace. Weil’s disease is also called leptospirosis it is a zoonotic disease; this means it is spread to humans by animals.

Leptospirosis comes from the leptospira bacteria and humans can contract the disease by touching soil or water that has been contaminated by the urine of animals that have the bacteria.

The most common way a human will contract leptospirosis is through contact with infected rats. Cows pigs dogs and other rodents are also carriers of the disease. Animals that are infected with the disease will shed the bacteria in their urine for the rest of their lives.

The symptoms of mild Weil’s disease are flu-like; for example a sufferer will get headaches chills and pain in the muscles. About 90% of people that contract Weil’s disease will have a mild version.

The remaining 10% of people will contract severe Weil’s disease the symptoms of this can be life threatening and a person who has contracted the disease can suffer from internal bleeding and organ failure.

Luckily Mr O’s illness was not fatal but nonetheless as it was contracted through an accident at work he was entitled to make a compensation claim; Oakwood Solicitors in Leeds can help you if you have contacted a disease through an accident at work.

There are many other industrial related illnesses that have become apparent in recent years. Asbestosis is a common illness that has very recently been linked to exposure to asbestos. People had previously been working with asbestos with no safety equipment such as a dust mask or gloves.

Years of this has led to many workers suffering from this very painful lung disease. It was not discovered in time to help many but employers now have a duty to protect their employees from exposure to asbestos man building contractors will not take on a job involving asbestos because of the potential health and safety risks involved.

The symptoms of asbestosis progress slowly and can cause severe breathlessness; unfortunately there is no known treatment for the progression of the disease and the symptoms can take 10-20 years after the initial exposure to develop.

Further reading

Accidents at work – Oakwood Solicitors

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you have suffered as a result of an accident or your work conditions you may be able to make a compensation claim; call Oakwood Solicitors in Leeds today on 0113 200 9720.