INDUSTRIAL DEAFNESS AND TINNITUS

Industrial Deafness & Tinnitus - Compensation Claims

There are over 80,000 new victims of work-related hearing problems defined as industrial deafness (including tinnitus) registered in the UK every year. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the industry groups with the highest average annual incidence rates of hearing-related injuries are: extraction, energy, water supply, manufacturing (especially machine tool operators) and construction industries. Work-related hearing problems including industrial deafness and tinnitus are not limited to these industrial sectors and if you believe that you may be suffering from industrial deafness or tinnitus make sure you seek medical and legal advice, regardless of which industry you work in, as soon as possible. If your deafness is noise induced you may be able to make an industrial deafness compensation claim.

Tinnitus - Excessive Noise In The Workplace

Tinnitus is an unpleasant illness that can have serious debilitating consequences including lifelong social problems for some sufferers. The condition can be a consequence of, or aggravated by, long-term exposure to excessive levels of noise in the workplace, without the use of proper protective equipment. Sufferers from tinnitus hear a high-pitched whistling, buzzing, ringing, roaring or hissing sound that is not being made by an external source. Depending on the severity of the disease, the sounds may be constant or come and go. Some sufferers learn to live with the sound, others find the sound extremely distracting, making them unable to work or lead a normal life. The first symptoms may include ringing in the ears, temporary deafness and difficulty in hearing people speak or in hearing soft noises.

Industrial Deafness - Personal Injury Damages

The incidence of compensation claims for industrial deafness and hearing loss as a result of excessive noise in the workplace has continually declined in the UK for the last 30 years primarily because of legislation regulating noise levels and requiring hearing protection in the workplace. This does not meant that if you are suffering from hearing loss due to conditions at your workplace that you do not have a valid claim. Legally-speaking there must be at least a 50 decibel hearing loss in order qualify for benefits under the Industrial Injuries Scheme from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the UK and the worker must have been employed for a minimum of ten years in what is defined as a ‘noisy workplace’. However, this does not apply to civil legal claims against an employer who exposes workers to excessive noise levels, or who does not provide satisfactory protective equipment or who does not provide adequate warning signage in noisy industrial areas. In cases of failure to protect employees from risk, any type of hearing loss caused by the negligence of the employer can be seen as a valid case to claim compensation. Furthermore employers are also under a duty to ensure that employees actually do protect themselves from excessive exposure to noise and will still be held responsible for injury to employees who fail to properly use any health and safety equipment available in the workplace to protect themselves from injury.

No Win No Fee - Specialist Personal Injury Solicitors

If you have developed industrial deafness or tinnitus or any other hearing problem due to your employers negligence in failing to properly deal with health and safety matters in the workplace you should take legal advice from an experienced solicitor about the possibility of making a compensation claim for personal injury. You should act as quickly as there are time limits and a potential claim can become statute barred meaning that the opportunity to claim compensation can be lost forever.