Can we claim for discomfort?

[OLIVE.FAMILY]

Ok I apologise in advanace if this sounds completly stupid but I am in the frame of mind that if you dont ask you dont get.

 

My O/H is a London commuter and he has been now for 10 years. It takes him 1 1/2 hours to get from our local station to Liverpool Street.

In 2006 Hubby started to suffer from really bad headaches and tinitus in one ear. The Doc said as it was in one ear it was a sympton of something else. As he was suffering from headaches as well he immediately signed off from work. The doc stated to investigate and hubby was sent to various specialists. He ended up having a brain scan to as they suspected a tumour by his ear.They didnt find anything

 

After 5 months a specialist finally found out whta was wrong. As he had spent so long commuting and on trains all his muscles had started to bunch up from jis neck under the base of his skull causing pressure behind his ear. A few months of physio he started to pick up again. All in all in had 6 full months off work and then they eased him back into work and commuting over a period of 7 months. He was properly back at work full time October last year.

 

The problems are back again and we now having to pay for him to have acupuncture from th same guy that treated him before. his proplems have become a lot worse though now as he now has started to suffer from siatica(sorry I am sure that is sprlt wrong).

 

This is all due to bad posture from those silly train seats(if you are lucky enough to get one)

 

Is there any thing that we can about this. Surely he is not the only one who is suffering

 

 

Olives xx

[Bookworm]

I know it's going to sound flippant, and it's not meant to, but: on your bike. Or your car. Or the bus.

 

My point is that since your hubby chooses to use this means of transport, when they are alternatives available (I'm not talking of the practicalities here, just the fact that there are alternatives) then I don't see that there is much he can do. Against whom anyway? The transport company? The employer? I mean, where do you apportion the blame?

 

From a practical point of view, I think that even with the one specialist of the opinion that this caused/aggravated his problems, I think they could probably one to produce other experts who could say that there are other factors and so, how do you prove that in the balance of probabilities, it was the transport that caused the issue and not hubby's bad posture, or pillows, or his desk, or simply age creeping in? You see what I mean?

 

I'm sorry, but I am really not sure that there is much you can do, unless you could find hundreds of commuters who have all had the same issue to try and show a cause and effect sequence and then get plenty of medical evidence... You can see for yourself how unrealistic it is.

[OLIVE.FAMILY]

You are absolutely right. It was just that little nigly angry voice in the back of my head saying for goodness sake there has to be something. I thing I have been listening to the USA too much Like I said you dont ask ...

 

Thankyou for the reply

[Bookworm]

Quite all right, my dear, I know what you mean.

 

On a slightly different note, I know it may not be terribly practical to carry round, but he could try getting one of those cushions which help taking the pressure off the bottom of the spine. My sister made me use one whilst in France because my tailbone was giving me absolute gyp and it did make a difference. I know hubby's troubles are higher up, but as you know, it all connects! ;-)

[seftonview]

Would it not be a more sensible option to look for work closer to home? Given the description of the symptoms and length of disorder, the Disability Discrimination Act may apply.

[OLIVE.FAMILY]

Hi guys. Thankyou Bookworm. Yes he does need a pillow thing and we have been looking for something suitable.

 

seftonview, getting work closer to home is not all that easy. We live in a high unemployment area. Also the Job that he has been doing is quite a rare job. What do you mean about the Disability discrimination act? How can that help?

 

olives xx

[seftonview]

If his disorder meets the definition of disability provided by the Act, he would be entitled to reasonable adjustments to prevent him being put at substantial disadvantage.

 

This could, for example, indicate being allowed to work from home.

 

SV