Vibration White Finger (VWF) Compensation Claims
Claim compensation for vibration white finger
If you work with vibrating tools/equipment for any length of time and now find your fingers are white, cold and tingling you may be suffering from a condition called Vibration White Finger. Irwin Mitchell Specialist Solicitors have represented over 200,000 people in the UK with work placed injuries, including Vibration White Finger.
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Example of successful vibration white finger case
Mr V of Sheffield was employed as a landscape gardener for approximately 20 years. He used vibratory tools such as petrol lawn mowers and strimmers. In the winter of 2003 Mr V noticed a tingling and numbness in his fingers. Following investigations and the advice of a medical expert he was diagnosed with Vibration White Finger. This condition was due to his use of landscape gardening equipment. Mr V issued a claim against his employer, a stately home in the Sheffield County Court. The claim was successfully resolved through negotiations and Mr V received a five figure compensation.
Read some more of our successful VWF claims here >
The vibration white finger legal claims process
Firstly it must be established that an employer has exposed any employee to negligent levels of vibration.
The core regulations governing vibration are the control of the Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. The new regulations state exposure accident levels and exposure limit values. Your daily exposure to vibration is measured by a formula known as A(8) value. This is the average (A) exposure over an 8 hour (8) day. The current exposure action level is 2.5 m/s2 A8. Or the exposure limit values this is 5 m/s2 A(8). However these are not definitive levels and it has been proven through previous cases that any exposure above 1 m/s2 A(8) can cause vibration white finger.
Once a person has started to develop the symptoms of Vibration White Finger, if he continues to use vibratory tools the problems will only deteriorate until the use of vibration has stopped. There is then a two year period following the use of vibratory tools in which a person's condition may further slightly deteriorate but after this two year period any further deterioration in symptoms may be due to a different/unknown condition.
The second complex issue is whether a person has Vibration White Finger and this is due to their exposure to vibration at work. This is a matter for expert evidence and a medical report will be prepared by an expert in the area such as a vascular surgeon to confirm the same.
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Specialist vibration white finger solicitors
If you have not been exposed to vibration at work beyond 1975 it is unlikely that you will be able to claim due to previous case law. If you suspect that you have Vibration White Finger you should talk to us about a Vibration White Finger claim.
We are one of the UK’s leading firms of Solicitors involved in Occupational Disease claims. Unlike agencies, we have our own in house expertise to help your Vibration White Finger claim. Our knowledgeable team will establish whether your injury can be linked to your exposure to vibration and crucially whether your employer was negligent in allowing it to occur and that they failed in their duty of care.
All initial consultation is free, if you suspect that you are affected by Vibration White Finger, please contact us.
Click here to make a compensation claim online now and receive free advice >
What we'll do for you
More than anything we aim to keep things clear, simple and as straight forward as possible for our clients so there is no need for you to worry at any point about the legal complexities or technicalities of your case. You will be kept in formed through the claims process which put simply looks like this:-
- Your free initial consultation gives us a clear understanding of your claim;
- If you have a case we assign our best legal team with expertise to handle your claim;
- The legal team will investigate and build evidence to back up your case;
- We keep in touch with you throughout, so you are always informed;
- Finally, with your approval we arrive at the best settlement possible.
Make contact as soon as you can
It is important to speak to us as soon as possible - time limitation periods apply and investigating your claim is often easier if you begin proceedings quickly. Your initial consultation with us is free and we will tell you then whether or not your case is worth pursuing. If it is, we will carry out our investigation of the free of charge too.
Click here to make a compensation claim online now and receive free advice >
Alternatively, you can talk to someone about your claim now by calling 0870 366 4120
Other resources
Read our guide to vibration white finger / hand arm vibration syndrome