Lonnie’s Story: pulmonary sarcoidosis sufferer forced into retirement at 30

At just 28 years old, Lonnie was forced into early retirement.

Lonnie worked as a plant operator at a mine, and after just five years in his role, he was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis, a condition caused by dust exposure.

As a result of his pulmonary sarcoidosis, Lonnie’s life has been changed forever.

Lonnie’s story

Lonnie lived an active lifestyle and loved working with his hands. He worked a physical job and maintained an active lifestyle. In his spare time, he’d work on old cars and motorbikes. Being in his mid-twenties, he had his whole life ahead of him.

Sadly, because of his workplace dust exposure, Lonnie’s life is very different.

Unfortunately, Lonnie’s freedom to enjoy the life he had worked tirelessly to create has halted as he now struggles with fatigue, chest pain, inflamed or blistered skin, severe weight loss, and blurred vision, amongst other symptoms.

The severity of his condition means that every day is a struggle physically. 

It is unclear currently whether Lonnie will improve to the point where successful re-engagement in work is possible. On account of his crippling lethargy, brain fog and limited walking capacity, Lonnie is no longer able to complete essential activities of daily living including cleaning, gardening or taking his dog for a walk. Since the onset of his condition and symptoms, his partner, Sam has now had to take on extra responsibilities around the house.

Background on Lonnie’s work

Lonnie worked as a plant operator at a local mine.

During his employment, Lonnie was responsible for running the crushing plant and also worked across three different sections of the mill. Lonnie drove loaders, worked in the grinding circuit, crushers, flotation and water areas of the plant. During his work, he was exposed to inorganic dust including antimony, arsenic, silica and lead.

Lonnie remembers being covered in dust and never thinking anything of it. This deadly dust followed him home on his clothing, car, and personal belongings.

“My lunch box was still stained with it eight years later”, says Lonnie.

As a plant operator, Lonnie was also responsible for operating heavy machinery and equipment used in the industrial and manufacturing process. This involved feeding and operating the crusher, crushing rocks, pushing up piles, sampling and general maintenance.

Lonnie’s compensation claim

Ross Sottile, a Lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, recalls when Lonnie first contacted us in April 2022 after reading his blog on sarcoidosis.

Ross wrote the blog to raise awareness of WorkCover entitlements for rare conditions caused by occupational exposure in hopes that it would assist people like Lonnie tap into much needed compensation. 

“Lonnie found himself in a situation where he was covered in dust and different types of chemicals daily due to his work. It wasn’t hard to examine the research and ascertain that he had a potential claim.”

At the time, he was on Centrelink payments and did not know his potential entitlements. We lodged a WorkCover claim for him, which was subsequently accepted.

Two years ago, Lonnie was freshly diagnosed and stressed about money. He was dealing with his symptoms and the possibility of not being able to provide for his family in the future.

This year, we settled his claim with a positive outcome.

More than just compensation

In bringing Lonnie’s claim, we were also able to assist him to obtain specialist medical care from doctors with experience in treating conditions like sarcoidosis. This has meant more to Lonnie than the compensation he received.  Lonnie is now finally receiving the treatment that he requires funded by WorkCover to help assist with the symptoms he faces every day when dealing with his disease.

Unfortunately, Lonnie continues suffering from serious symptoms that resulted from his exposure. The current medical evidence and opinions indicate that Lonnie may not successfully return to paid full-time work.

If you have been exposed to dust or hazardous chemicals, one simple step you can take now is to record the details in our National Dust Register. Recording exposure details, regardless of how recent or long ago they were, can help with any future compensation claims.

If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with a dust-related disease, contact us to speak with one of our expert dust disease lawyers. The initial consultation is free and without obligation.