Loss or Impairment of the Sense of Smell or Taste Compensation Claims

Loss of Taste and Smell Compensation Pay-Out Values

If your claim for loss of taste and/or smell is successful, you will be awarded a bespoke financial sum that will have been decided based on the unique circumstances of your situation.

The amount you receive will reflect the degree of pain and suffering you have endured or are expected to endure in the future, as well as any financial losses you have incurred. For this reason, determining how much compensation you are likely to be awarded is difficult, since every case is different, and each amount is uniquely based on the claimant's individual circumstances.

We appreciate that many potential claimants prefer to have an estimate of how much money they could receive. 

The loss of tase or smell compensation calculator above allow will help you estimate the range within which your claim might fall, but it's essential to get advice from an experienced solicitor to ensure every aspect of your circumstances has been factored in.

About Losing the Sense of Taste and Smell

Our senses of taste and smell are examples of chemosensory systems, which contain sensory organs (such as the nose and tongue) that detect chemicals in the environment and send information about them to the brain for processing.  Odour molecules are detected by the nose, while taste molecules, which are released during chewing, are typically detected by specialist cells in the tongue.  Disruption to any part of these systems, whether it be the sensory organ, or the part of the brain to which the organ sends information for processing, can result in loss or impairment of the sense.

Although taste and smell are typically regarded as separate senses, being produced by different sense organs, they are inextricably linked together, and work together to produce flavour. The connection between the two senses often means that the loss of one sense, such as smell, typically results in the loss or impairment of the other sense, the effect of which can be life changing. For this reason, if you have been affected by loss of taste or smell because of someone else's behaviour, you should contact one of our solicitors for help and advice in pursuing your claim.

Loss of Smell

The sensation of smell is produced when odorous substances in the environment are detected by the body; overall, this process is known as olfaction. Our sense of smell allows us to interact with the world around us, identifying smells that could signify food or danger.

Odour molecules (such as those released by coffee) exist in the air and are inhaled by the nostrils, two nasal passages which are separated by a wall of cartilage called the septum. After being inhaled into the nose, the chemical-ridden air makes its way through the nose to the olfactory epithelium, a layer of tissue that sits in the topmost part of the nose.

The epithelium contains thousands of chemoreceptor cells, all of which are uniquely specialised to detect and respond to the odorous molecules that enter the nose and is protected by a thick layer of mucus. Each molecule binds to a receptor cell, initiating the emergence of an electrical signal; these electrical signals contain information about the smell, and they are transported to the olfactory bulb, a structure at the base of the brain that is dedicated to smell production, by specialist nerve cells.

When the information reaches the olfactory bulb, it is processed, and translated into our sensation of a distinct smell. Information about the smell is then sent to other areas of the brain, such as those which create memories, with smells becoming intrinsically linked to our memories.  Previously sensed smells will be recognised, while new smells will be remembered. In this way, memories of odours such as fire, gas, or rotting food become associated with danger, which the body remembers.

On a more positive note, smells can also be associated with memories that are happy or important to us; the link between smell and memory means that certain smells can trigger the immediate retrieval of memories created a long time ago.

Damage to the epithelium, to the brain, or to the nerves that transmit the electrical signals from the nose to the brain for processing can all result in an impaired sense of smell. If your sense of smell has been impaired, your ability to engage with the world around you successfully will be significantly reduced. As well as affecting your enjoyment of day-to-day smells, losing your smell can also put you at an increased risk of being unknowingly trapped in dangerous situations. For example, our sense of smell is the primary means by which we detect gas leaksin our homes, and fires are often first detected by the smell of smoke within the home.Without our sense of smell, we are unable to detect the smells and identify the danger they pose.

Loss of Taste

Taste is another of the body's chemosensory system; it is produced when taste-producing molecules from the environment are detected by the body's taste buds and responded to. Most people believe that our sense of smell is produced solely in the mouth, but this is not true. Chemicals from food are detected by taste buds, which, as well as existing in the large amounts on the tongue, also exist in other parts of the mouth, as well as in the throat and, surprisingly, the nose.

The taste buds can distinguish between five distinct tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami. While the first four tastes are recognisable to most people, the fifth, umami, refers to savoury foods that are high in protein, such as meta, fish and mushrooms..

In the past, it was believed that the tongue could be split into different areas, with each area being responsible for detecting specific types of taste cells, but this theory has now been disproven. Rather than only being triggered by certain tastes, all taste buds are capable of detecting, and reacting to, all tastes, and the number of taste buds on the tongue alone extends into the thousands. On the tongue, the buds are contained within small bumps called papillae, and are replaced regularly when they are lost. Sadly, as we age, our body's ability to renew our cells reduces, and our sense of taste therefore becomes more muted over time. This could explain why tastes like coffee, which are often perceived as being overwhelmingly bitter and unappetising by children, are enjoyed by adults.

Flavour

The senses of taste and smell combine to create flavour. Our taste buds can determine the general taste that a food has (namely, whether it is sweet, salty or otherwise), but it is our sense of smell that helps to create the full and individual flavours that each food item we eat produces. This is because, when we chew food, odour molecules are released as well as taste molecules, and these are interpreted by the nose. The relationship can be seen when our noses are blocked; food becomes bland, with only the vague sense of whether it is sweet or savoury being perceived.

The combination of taste and smell to produce flavour has an evolutionary advantage. When eating unknown food, our ancestors had to have a way of predicting, with accuracy, whether the food would be poisonous or safe. If the only way of testing the food was to bite into it, then many people would have died. By smelling the food, however, we are able to predict a sense of what the food's flavour is going to be, knowledge which can help us to take the plunge and try it, or avoid it.

Loss of Taste or Loss of Smell Claims

Losing one's sense of taste or smell can be extremely traumatic. One of the predominant means through which individuals interact socially is over food, at meal-times; if the ability to enjoy food is removed, the interactions become less enjoyable, resulting in loneliness and isolation. There is also the issue of life becoming more dangerous, as threatening smells cannot be identified.

There are many means by which a person could lose their taste and smell, and although some, such as disease, occur naturally, others are the result of negligence on someone else's part.

Loss of Taste or Loss of Smell from a Traumatic Accident

Sometimes, the loss of taste or smell can be a result of injuries sustained to the brain, such as in road traffic accidents, falling from height at work, or being struck by a heavy object. Any injury obtained to the head, nose, throat, or brain could result in the manifestation of a taste disorder. If you believe you have lost your sense of taste and/or smell through negligence or at a workplace, make sure you get in contact with us today to find out whether you could receive compensation.

Loss of Taste or Loss of Smell from Exposure to Chemicals

Our senses of taste and smell may also be disrupted by exposure to harmful chemical fumes. The inhalation of dangerous fumes in a workplace that is not properly risk assessed or safeguarded can cause damage to the smell and taste receptors, such as the taste buds and the olfactory epithelium. If these parts of the body are injured, then their ability to detect and respond to odour molecules is significantly refused, and the senses of smell and taste are reduced as a result. If you work in an environment where toxic fumes and chemicals are prevalent, you may be at an increased risk of suffering a smell or taste disorder.

Injuries sustained to the nose, such as during assaults, can also cause problems with smelling.

Symptoms of Ageusia an Anosmia

The medical term for loss of taste is ageusia, while the term for a lost sense of smell is anosmia. The symptoms of ageusia and anosmia vary depending on the individual, with signs of a problem ranging from difficulty tasting and/or smelling, with food seeming more bland than usual and smells appearing different or less pungent, to the complete loss of taste and smell. In some cases, previously pleasant tasting or smelling items may become unpleasant.

If you have been affected in any way by loss of taste or smell because of someone else’s negligence, you deserve to claim for compensation. Contact our friendly and diligent team of professional personal injury lawyers to begin your claim and receive the compensation you deserve.