Making a personal injury claim for hearing loss

Many people believe that hearing loss is an unavoidable aspect of getting older, but this is not always true.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), hundreds of people every year are diagnosed with noise-induced deafness after having worked in loud environments.

Without suitable protection from high volume and high intensity sounds, individuals can suffer permanent damage to their hearing.

Workers in loud industrial environments should be provided with appropriate ear defenders by their employer, told how and when to use them, as well as how to store them correctly.

In addition, employers should try and reduce the noise levels in the workplace as much as possible, for example, by purchasing newer, quieter machinery.

Regular exposure to noises of 80 decibels and above (dBA) can cause tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears, but short bursts of high intensity noise can also cause instant hearing damage.

Although this type of industrial injury might not seem as severe as some others, losing your hearing can be a little like losing a limb. Sense of hearing is very important but is often undervalued.

With a reduced sense of hearing, listening to music, watching television, and even holding a conversation with someone, can be difficult. Deafness might even result in the sufferer losing their job since they may no longer be unable to safely perform their role.

If someone in an industrial setting is exposed to noise levels which cause them hearing loss through no fault of their own, they may be able to make a claim against their employer.

Furthermore, even if they are partly responsible for their hearing loss, but their employer can be deemed to have greater responsibility, they may still be able to make a successful claim.

By contacting an industrial deafness solicitor, deserving claimants could receive compensation for their hearing loss.

This could enable them to buy good quality hearing aids, help them recoup lost earnings, or generally improve the quality of their life.