You can contract Legionnaires’ disease from places that fail to maintain a safe water system. These include:
- Hotels
- Cruise ships
- Leisure centres
- Restaurants
- Hospitals
- Spas.
The source can also differ depending on where you contract the disease. You may come across contaminated water from:
- Cooling towers
- Hot tubs
- Spa pools
- Showers
- Large plumbing systems
- Hot water tanks and heaters
- Decorative fountains
- Water features.
If you or a loved one has Legionnaires’ disease, we’re here to help. We’ll work to make sure those responsible are held to account. Similarly, we’re here to help you if your loved one has passed away due to Legionnaires’ disease.
When you contact us, you'll speak to one of our friendly team members, who will talk to you about your illness. This initial consultation is free and from there, we'll tell you the best way to take your claim forward.
Our experts will investigate your case in detail, gathering evidence and enquiring to see if anyone else has been affected. We'll use medical professionals to find out how your illness impacted your health. They'll then recommend the care you'll need in the future to make the best recovery possible.
When you contact us, you'll speak to one of our friendly team members, who will talk to you about your illness. This initial consultation is free and from there, we'll advise you on the best way to take your claim forward.
Contacting Those Responsible For Your Illness
We'll help you work out who is responsible for your illness and get in touch with them at an early stage to see if they accept the blame for what happened. If they accept responsibility, we'll try to secure some of your compensation up-front, which can fund private medical care and expenses while your claim is ongoing. These payments are known as interim payments, and will be taken out of your final compensation award.
Gathering Evidence
Our experts will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence and enquiring to see if anyone else has been affected. We'll employ medical professionals to find out how your illness impacted your health and recommend the care you'll need in the future in order to make the best recovery possible.
Final Settlement & Compensation Awarded
We'll always try and negotiate claims out of court, keeping the claim process as short as we can. However, if your opponent doesn't accept responsibility or doesn't agree with the amount of compensation we feel you need, we'll start court proceedings.
Even when trial dates have been set, claims are still often settled before reaching court. If your claim needs to be decided at court, we'll be there to help you every step of the way, talking you through what will happen so you feel as comfortable as possible.
Read more about what happens if your case goes to court.
Every case is different, so there's no set amount of compensation you'll receive. The amount of compensation you'll get will depend on your circumstances. This includes the severity of your illness and your chances of making a full recovery.
If you’re claiming after a loved one has passed away due to Legionnaires’ disease this will also be considered when making a compensation claim.
By making a Legionnaires' disease compensation claim, you can access funds to help cover expenses and any medical treatment you may need.
Every case is different, so there's no set amount of compensation you'll receive. The amount of compensation you'll get will depend on your circumstances, the severity of your illness and your chances of making a full recovery.
To work out how much compensation you're entitled to, we'll take into account factors such as:
- Expenses - including travel expenses to medical appointments, prescriptions and things that help with daily living.
- Loss of earnings - to cover any time you've had off work and time off you may need in the future. This figure can also cover matters such as not returning to the same role or not being able to return to work.
- Pain and suffering - caused by your illness.
- Further treatments - to pay for any further medical procedures you may need
If you'd like to make a compensation claim, contact us to set up a free initial consultation on 0800 056 4110.
You normally have to make a personal injury claim within three years of your illness so you should contact us as soon as possible. Getting in touch with us shortly after your illness makes collecting evidence easier and helps get you the compensation you need as soon as possible. It can also help us find other people who have got food poisoning from the same place and file a stronger group claim.
There are some exceptions to the three year time limit, including:
- Claims on behalf of children - these can be made at any point before their 18th birthday. When the child reaches 18, they can make their own claim at any stage up until they turn 21.
- Mental capacity - there are no time limits to make a claim on behalf of someone who doesn't have the ability to handle their own case.
- Fatal claims - fatal cases of food poisoning can happen to people with underlying illnesses, people with weakened immune systems and other vulnerable individuals. To make a claim on behalf of your loved one, you'll have three years from the date they died to make a claim. If a post-mortem found that the death was caused by food poisoning, you have three years from the point where you discovered these findings.
- International claims - If you have developed Legionnaires' disease while abroad, the time limits affecting your claim will be different. Contact us as soon as possible and we can talk you through the time limits for your case. For more information, please see our accidents and illness abroad section.
Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there's no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.
At the start of your case we'll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be better options to fund your claim. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household insurance policies, so it's always worth checking whether you're already covered.
If we think you're best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we'll explain the process clearly. This involves setting up an insurance policy that will protect you, at no cost to you. You'll only have to pay anything when your claim is successful - your opponent will pay most of our fees.
Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.
To begin your Legionnaires’ disease claim, get in touch with our team. We’ll arrange a free 30-minute consultation where you can speak to an expert solicitor. They’ll listen to what happened to you, advise you on whether you could claim, and for how much. They’ll also make you aware of all funding options.
There’s no obligation to go any further than this, but if you choose to pursue your claim with us, we’ll begin by collecting evidence. Evidence we can use to support your claim can include:
- Medical records
- Receipts
- Witness statements
- Independent medical experts.
Once we’ve collected this evidence, we’ll contact the individual, institution, or organisation responsible for your illness. If they accept responsibility and the compensation amount we’re claiming for, we’ll be able to settle your claim.
If they dispute blame or how much compensation we feel you need, we may need to begin court proceedings.
We normally work to keep your claim from going to court, but there may be instances where it’s in your best interest to take your claim to court. If you do need to go to court, we’ll do all we can to make sure you’re as prepared and comfortable as possible. We’ll always act on your instructions and advise you on how we feel it’s best to proceed based on your unique situation.
Yes, if you contracted Legionnaires’ disease abroad you can make a claim for compensation. Our international illness claims team can help you to make a claim if you became ill while on holiday or staying abroad.
Large buildings with more complex water systems such as hotels, museums, or spas are at a greater risk of legionella contamination.
As the disease is usually preventable, you may be able to claim compensation if it was caused by the negligence of another party while abroad. Tour operators should ensure that hotels they use during your holiday are meeting health and safety standards and should warn you of the risks.
The usual time limit in the UK for making a claim is three years. If you contracted Legionnaires’ disease in another country, this time limit can often be shorter, so it’s important to start your claim as soon as possible. Contact us to tell us what happened to you.
Our personal injury experts are based across the country so are never too far away from you. We'll always take the time to get to know you and will make sure we understand what happened in your illness and the effect it's had on your life.
Your lawyer will run your case as efficiently as possible and will start investigating your claim as soon as possible. We always provide clear advice on what's happening and can advise you on a number of issues including financial planning and state benefit entitlement.
Our lawyers are highly ranked in leading legal guides the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
In 2022, the Legal 500 described us as "a market leader in claimant personal injury work. IM stands out within the field for the specialism within its teams and the excellence of its lawyers throughout."
Chambers & Partners (2022) said: “Irwin Mitchell is truly standout in this area, with quality and depth right across the board."
We're also proud to have won the Claimant Solicitor of the Year prize at the Rehabilitation First Awards on seven different occasions. This award recognises our key focus on rehabilitation, making sure that our clients can access the care and support they need.
View our Public Health team
There’s no set amount of compensation awarded in Legionnaires’ disease claims. The circumstances around each claim differ, meaning compensation amounts awarded in each claim differ too.
To get an idea of how much compensation you could be entitled to, get in touch with us to arrange a free initial consultation. We’ll be able to advise you on how much you could claim once we’ve learnt more about your situation.
Your compensation amount will be calculated based on:
- The severity of your illness
- Loss of earnings
- Your long-term medical needs
- Expenses you’ve already incurred, such as medical bills or travel to hospital appointments.
We’re able to take most claims for Legionnaires’ disease on a no win no fee basis. This means there are no upfront fees, and you won’t need to pay any costs if your claim doesn’t succeed.
You’ll need a suitable insurance policy to make a no win no fee claim. This protects you from incurring any fees. If you don’t have a suitable policy already in place, we’ll take out After The Event (ATE) insurance on your behalf.
There are other funding options available, and an alternative may be more suitable for your circumstances. We’ll always make sure you’re fully aware of all funding options before we start working on your claim.
Compensation amounts will cover:
- Loss of earnings, now and in future
- Pain and suffering caused by your illness
- Specialist treatment or equipment you need
- Expenses – to cover things like prescriptions, treatment, and travel expenses, such as hospital trips.
We’ll make sure your compensation amount is a full reflection of the impact your illness has had. Your settlement will consider your financial needs for the rest of your life.
In the UK, the normal time limit for making a compensation claim is three years. This time limit begins either from the date you contracted Legionnaires’ disease or were diagnosed with it.
This time limit doesn’t apply to children under the age of 18 – the limit begins on their 18th birthday. It also doesn’t apply to people who lack the mental capacity to claim by themselves.
If you or your loved one became ill in a different country, the time limits can be shorter. For this reason, we always urge clients to start their claim as soon as possible.
