Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Work Related Tinnitus Compensation
At The Legal Line, our lawyers are experts in workplace injury and industrial illness and we have assisted many clients in recovering compensation for work-related tinnitus.
If you are suffering from tinnitus because of exposure to excessive noise at work, contact us on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online, to find out if you can make a personal injury claim.
Tinnitus
Exposure to Excessive Noise at Work
Who is at Risk of Tinnitus?
Tinnitus Caused by Accidents
Making a Tinnitus Claim
Tinnitus Compensation
Our Expert Personal Injury Lawyers
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the term given to ringing in the ears when there is no external sound. There are several causes, including ear infections, side-effects of medication and a build-up of wax or fluid. The most common cause however, and the subject dealt with on this page, is exposure to loud noise.
Sufferers often describe their symptoms as a ringing, buzzing, whining, hissing or whistling sound in the ears or inside their head. Tinnitus symptoms can be constant or intermittent and many people find them to be especially severe when there is little or no background noise. For this reason tinnitus can often interfere with sleeping. Tinnitus can also make it difficult to hear certain sounds, particularly subtle sounds.
When tinnitus is caused by exposure to loud noise, it is often accompanied by some degree of hearing loss. If this loud noise exposure occurred at work, the resulting loss of hearing is commonly known as occupational deafness or industrial deafness. If you are suffering from either industrial deafness, work-related tinnitus, or both, we may be able to assist you in making an injury claim.
Exposure to Excessive Noise at Work
At any workplace where there are high levels of noise, employers must adhere to the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 to protect the health and safety of their workforce. There are limits in place for the levels of noise allowed in a workplace and length of time employees can be exposed to loud noise.
Where possible excessive noise should be eliminated altogether, for example by using quieter equipment or processes or screening off loud machinery to lower the sound emitted, however this is not always practical. In situations where there is no alternative to the use of loud equipment, employers should carry out risk assessments for each task and ensure that their staff are provided with adequate hearing protection. This may come in the form of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as ear plugs or ear defenders.
Employees also have a responsibility to ensure that they follow all safety instructions they are given, use any PPE provided and notify their employer of any problems or hazards they come across.
If you develop tinnitus because of a loud working environment, we may be able to assist you with a compensation claim.
Who is at Risk of Tinnitus?
There are certain industries where employees may be at particular risk of developing tinnitus due to loud noise exposure if they are not adequately protected, including:
• Construction
• Demolition
• Road Working
• Mining
• Quarrying
• Manufacturing
• Engineering
• Armed forces
• Metalworking
• Foundries
• Textile
• Canning and Bottling
• Bars and Nightclubs
• Music and Entertainment
• Mills
As a basic guide, if you have to raise your voice to speak with someone standing nearby, you use noisy machinery or tools, explosives, firearms, or there is intrusive background noise for any length of time, your workplace could be considered a noisy environment.
Tinnitus Caused by Accidents
In addition to prolonged exposure to loud noise over a period of time, tinnitus can also be caused by one-off incidents.
It can result from hearing a sudden noise of very high volume, for example in an industrial accident, explosion or road accident, and can also develop if a person suffers a head injury or brain injury.
If you are suffering from tinnitus following an accident at work, or any other accident caused by the negligence of someone else, we may be able to assist you with a compensation claim.
Making a Tinnitus Claim
In order to make a successful personal injury claim for tinnitus, it must be proven that the condition can be attributed to the working conditions.
In every case, detailed medical evidence will be required. In any personal injury claim it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence.
Therefore, an experienced tinnitus solicitor should be appointed to ensure that the claim proceeds to the best possible outcome.
Tinnitus Compensation
There are two elements to a tinnitus compensation award. The first is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and what is known as loss of amenity. This is called general damages and can include an award for your inability to do things that you used to be able to do before. The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.
The second element of a compensation award is for your losses and expenses and is known as special damages. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to your condition, so that these can be reclaimed. The aim is to put you back in a position financially as if the tinnitus had never occurred.
Our Expert Personal Injury Lawyers
Our lawyers have a wealth of experience in recovering compensation for the victims of work-related injuries and conditions, including noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.
We can provide you with expert advice on whether you have a valid injury claim and guide you through the claims process. Contact us on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online.
For details of some of the many cases we have successfully pursued for victims of tinnitus and hearing damage, visit our personal injury news and client stories sections or follow the links below:
Compensation for Victim of Industrial Deafness Caused by Woodworking Machinery
Bus Driver Compensated for Back Injury and Hearing Loss
Industrial Deafness Claim for Parcel Service Worker
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Testimonials
"This compensation is not going to bring my health back. But it will make sure my wife will be looked after. It's a big relief to know that this has all been sorted out in my lifetime."
Charles
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