Thousands of BT workers could still claim compensation for hearing damage
08 I 02 I 11
At Hugh James we know that tinnitus
and loss of hearing can have a significant impact on people’s
lives. Our experts are currently representing over 400 clients
across the UK who have experienced hearing damage as a result of
working with particular equipment at British Telecom.
As National Tinnitus Awareness Week
is running from the 4-11 February, Hugh James is calling for more
current and ex BT employees who have been affected to come
forward.
Kathryn Singh, a lawyer with Hugh
James, said equipment used by the engineers to test telephone lines
caused permanent noise-induced hearing loss. The tone sets, also
known as the ‘green set’ and ‘yellow set’ oscillators, were used in
the 1970s and 1980s to install and locate lines in BT’s own
network.
In a major breakthrough and as a
direct result of court action pursued by Hugh James, BT has made a
number of admissions that certain types of tone sets emitted
excessively high noise levels that could cause damage.
Ms Singh said the admission would
make the process of securing compensation quicker and easier for BT
staff.
“This is extremely good news
because it makes the path for BT engineers to establish liability
far easier. It’s something that we have been working towards for a
long time,” she said.
“We have over 400 people that we
represent and that is increasing daily.
“The pay-outs have varied from
£5,000 up to £20,000 in some cases, depending on the severity of
hearing loss.”
Ms Singh said figures provided by
the Communication Workers Union show the sets were used by more
than 100,000 BT engineers.
Ms Singh said the majority of
claims were being settled with out-of-court payments.
In a statement, BT said: “BT has admitted liability in respect of
the green and unmodified yellow amplifier kits. Future claims will
be handled on a case by case basis subject to supportive medical
evidence.”
Not an illness or disease, tinnitus
is a term to describe the sensation of hearing a noise when there
is no external sound. It affects around 5 million people and is
often associated with hearing loss.
Current and ex BT Engineers are
warned that strict time limits still apply to these cases and are
urged to seek advice now. For further information please
contact our claims enquiry hotline on 029 2078 5971 or contact our
legal experts Kathryn Singh (029 2022 4871) or Kevin McCarthy (029
2078 5971) at Hugh James.