WE Solicitors LLP

04/06/2026

Manchester Call Centre Worker Secures Compensation After Acoustic Shock Injury

WE Solicitors has successfully represented a Manchester-based call centre worker who suffered a serious acoustic shock injury, resolved after six years for an undisclosed sum.

Our client, then in her early 20s and working in an inbound call centre role, was exposed to a sudden and intense shrieking noise through her headset. The sound was so loud that colleagues seated nearby were able to hear it, and she instinctively tore off her headset.

Almost immediately, she noticed a change in her hearing and attended A&E in Manchester, where she was diagnosed with an acoustic shock-type injury. In the months that followed, her condition deteriorated, and she was later formally recognised as disabled by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Read more below:

WE Solicitors has successfully represented a Manchester-based call centre worker who suffered a serious acoustic shock injury, resolved after six years for an undisclosed sum.

02/06/2026

Today, Liz Jarvis MP will be in Westminster discussing silicosis and dust exposure in the work place. Silicosis has been dubbed the new asbestosis and is affecting many workers in the UK.

We hope that this meeting is well attended and we are looking forward to seeing updates from Liz.

The issue of 'killer kitchens' has been given a lot of news coverage, including this from Sky News.

The UK has recorded more than 50 confirmed cases and four deaths from silicosis, an irreversible, long-term lung disease.

29/05/2026

The Health and Safety Executive has launched its first-ever dedicated safety guidance and nationwide enforcement campaign aimed at protecting workers from deadly silica dust exposure linked to engineered stone worktops.

The landmark COSHH guidance follows the deaths of two young workers who developed silicosis after exposure to respirable crystalline silica generated during the cutting and finishing of engineered stone.

Under the updated guidance, the HSE has explicitly declared dry cutting of engineered stone to be unacceptable and confirmed that on-tool water suppression is now a mandatory legal requirement. Employers are also expected to provide suitable respiratory protective equipment, control airborne mist and carry out regular health surveillance for workers exposed to silica dust.

The regulator has also confirmed that businesses must switch to alternative engineered stone products containing lower levels of silica where possible.

Inspectors have already begun a nationwide programme of more than 1,000 visits to fabricators across Great Britain, with enforcement action expected against businesses failing to meet the new safety standards.

Engineered stone used in kitchen and bathroom worktops can contain up to 95% crystalline silica, with exposure capable of causing permanent and irreversible lung damage within months or years.

Steve Evans of WE Solicitors says the issue is becoming increasingly concerning, particularly due to the age of some workers now being diagnosed.

“At WE Solicitors, we are currently handling the case of a very young man in the North West of England who has developed silicosis following exposure to silica dust at work,” said Steve.
“This is an irreversible and potentially life-limiting condition which nobody should be developing at such a young age simply because they were not properly protected in the workplace.
“The HSE’s guidance sends an extremely clear message to employers. Dry cutting is unacceptable and proper dust suppression measures are now a mandatory legal requirement. Employers who fail to protect workers from silica exposure are putting lives at risk.”

Liz Jarvis MP has been drawing this matter to the attention of Westminster for some time. On the 2 June, she will be leading a debate on exposure to silica dust in the workplace. Sir Stephen Timms MP will also be in attendance.

26/05/2026

Pleural Plaques or Pleural Thickening? Why the Difference Matters for Your Claim

Pleural plaques and pleural thickening sound similar but are treated very differently in UK compensation law. WE Solicitors explains the difference in plain English, including what Rothwell v Chemical Insulating Co Ltd means for claimants today.

If your consultant has mentioned “pleural plaques” or “pleural thickening,” it is easy to assume they mean the same thing. They do not. The two conditions look similar on a chest scan and both point to historic asbestos exposure, but UK law treats them very differently.

This guide explains what each one is, why one is generally compensable and the other is not, and what to do if you believe your breathing problems are linked to a job you did decades ago.

Pleural plaques and pleural thickening sound similar but are treated very differently in UK compensation law. WE Solicitors explains the difference in plain English, including what Rothwell v Chemical…

21/05/2026

Rugby Players, Unless Orders and Strike-Out: How a Procedural Failure Can Cost a Serious Injury Claim

A high-profile rugby head injury case shows how a missed court deadline can put a claim at risk. Here is what an unless order means and your options.

Legal action brought by former professional rugby players over brain and neurological injuries is reportedly at risk of being struck out. Strikingly, the threat comes not from any doubt about the injuries themselves, but from a dispute over a strict court deadline known as an unless order. It is a stark reminder of an uncomfortable truth: even a strong claim can be lost on procedure.

Read the full story below

A high-profile rugby head injury case shows how a missed court deadline can put a claim at risk. Here is what an unless order means and your options.

19/05/2026

Could Your Lung Cancer Be Linked to Asbestos at Work?

If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer and once worked with or around asbestos, you may have a valid legal claim, even if you smoked. A plain-English guide from WE Solicitors covering the Synergistic Effect, the date of knowledge rule, and the claims process.

A lung cancer diagnosis is overwhelming. In the weeks that follow, most people focus on treatment, family, and getting through the next appointment. It is rare for anyone to stop and ask whether the disease might have started decades earlier, on a building site, in a power station, or on a telephone exchange floor. Many people in this situation do have a valid legal claim, and most do not realise it.

Call: 0800 294 3065

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14/05/2026

Hearing Loss From Years of Workplace Noise: Can You Still Claim Compensation in the UK?

Worked around factory, print or machinery noise for years and now struggle to hear? Find out how UK hearing loss compensation claims work in 2026.

Which industries see the most hearing loss claims?
Hearing loss does not discriminate by trade, but the historic high-risk industries in the UK include:

Printing and paper mills
Textile manufacturing and weaving
Steel, metal works and foundries
Shipbuilding and heavy engineering
Construction and road maintenance
Power generation
Car production and engineering
Pottery and ceramics
Armed Forces and aviation
Call centres (acoustic shock from headsets)

WE Solicitors is currently advising several workers from the printing industry, including former employees of presses around the Plymouth area, who have only recently realised that the gradual deterioration of their hearing started on the factory floor.

Call: 0800 294 3065

Worked around factory, print or machinery noise for years and now struggle to hear? Find out how UK hearing loss compensation claims work in 2026.

12/05/2026

Asbestos Exposure at Work: A 2026 Guide to UK Compensation Claims for Workers and Families

For decades, asbestos was the material of choice for insulation, lagging, ceiling tiles, brake linings, cable wrapping and thousands of other products. Workers used it without protection. Many of those workers, and their families, are only now living with the consequences.

If you or someone you love has been told they have an asbestos-related disease, this article is a starting point. It is written in plain English, with the information UK families most often ask about.

Call: 0800 294 3065

12/05/2026

Ongoing national asbestos crisis in schools, healthcare and emergency services.

Steve Evans, partner here at WE Solicitors was invited to attend an All Party Parliamentary Group meeting on behalf of the many people he has represented in the last twenty five years.

Speakers from medicine, education, trade unions and emergency services presented evidence showing that asbestos remains present in schools, hospitals, and public buildings, despite decades of awareness.

Healthcare representatives reported that approximately 40 healthcare workers are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, while overall asbestos related deaths are estimated at around 5,000 annually.

Amongst the discussions, a medic raised serious concerns about the absence of a national asbestos register and called for a coordinated national audit system.

Trade union representatives warned that teachers and education staff continue to face significant risks due to the widespread presence of asbestos in schools, while firefighters also remain exposed during emergency incidents.

Steve said “Attending the recent all-party parliamentary group discussions on mesothelioma was another important reminder of the devastating impact asbestos exposure continues to have on workers and families across the UK.

For many people, exposure happened decades ago in factories, schools, hospitals, shipyards and other older buildings, often without them ever realising the danger at the time.

Through my work representing people affected by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses, I continue to see the human cost of these exposures first-hand. Greater awareness, earlier diagnosis and proper support for victims remain absolutely essential.”

07/05/2026

You spent your working life on building sites. Concrete saws, pneumatic drills, grinders, breakers, the constant background hum of the plant. By the end of every Friday, your ears were ringing, but it always faded by Monday morning, so you never thought much of it.

Now you struggle to follow conversations at family meals. Your partner says the television is too loud. You miss the doorbell. The ringing in your ears that used to fade has not faded for years.

You are not alone. The Health and Safety Executive estimates that around 15,000 people in Great Britain have hearing problems caused or made worse by their job each year, and that more than 2 million UK workers are still being exposed to unacceptable levels of noise at work today

WE Solicitors have handled industrial disease and hearing loss claims for over 24 years from our offices in the North West, with clients across England.

Get in touch today: 0800 294 3065



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