Former miners who claim they received inadequate compensation for Vibration White Finger under a Government scheme are launching a legal challenge.
A Government compensation scheme was set up just over ten years ago to settle compensation claims but many miners now say that they did not receive the full amounts they were entitled to.
At least eight companies are expected to face a personal injury legal compensation action from around 25 former pit workers for Vibration White Finger (VWF), a serious debilitating condition caused by using vibrating machinery and power tools.
The companies are facing compensation claims, thought to be in the region of £450,000, at Leeds County Court.
It has long been felt by many former miners and the lawyers representing them that they have missed out on the full compensation due for their Vibration White Finger injuries.
Millions have been paid out to miners as a result of a Government industrial injury scheme but lawyers have long argued that many miners were allowed to settle their claim for too little, missing out on many benefits they were entitled to.
Industrial compensation specialists Mellor Hargreaves are handling the claims for the former coalminers which are expected to be landmark cases.
The planned compensation battle will centre on the original service given to miners which in some cases was alleged to be inadequate.
A number of cases relating to this issue have already been settled out of court.
If the upcoming Vibration White Finger injury claims are successful it is thought that there will be more ex-miners waiting in the wings to launch claims of their own.
Exposure to hand and arm vibration can result in a wide range of health problems known as Vibration White Finger and also Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome or HAVS.
It is estimated more than 300,000 people are suffering from Vibration White Finger in the UK.
By law employers must carry out risk assessments and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks of Vibration White Finger.
Originally compensation payments were made to miners suffering from Vibration White Finger under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme.
The Government scheme was set up to compensate former miners for two types of injury – lung disease from breathing in coal dust and Vibration White Finger.
The UK miners industrial injury scheme has paid out £4.1 billion since it was set up for both Vibration White Finger and lung disorder injuries.
However, the ex-miners now claim injuries were under-compensated for the VWF, a condition that causes pain or numbness and inability to perform manual handling operations.
Vibration White Finger, or Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome as it is also known, includes symptoms in fingers, hands and arms caused by continual vibration pressure.
The vibration is thought to injure small nerves and blood vessels in the fingers, leading to loss of function and touch.
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