Have you lost your ability to hear well, or lost your ability to hear completely because of ear damage from an accident? If so, then you have the right to seek compensation from the party responsible. There are a host of reasons why individuals may lose their hearing from a variety of different accidents.
Oftentimes, hearing loss lawsuits occur at the workplace. An individual may constantly be working near loud machinery without any hearing protection, and this can slowly erode the inner ear until hearing is difficulty.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related illness in the United States. About 22 million U.S. workers have been exposed to hazardous noise levels without the appropriate protection and an additional 9 million have been exposed to ototoxic chemicals that can damage the ear.
NIOSH says that the best way to prevent injuries of this kind is to remove hazardous noise from the workplace whenever possible and to use hearing aid protectors in the situations where the dangerous noises can be controlled or eliminated. Workers should always wear hearing protection when using power tools.
Reports show that about four million workers go to a workplace every day where they have to deal with damaging noise. Ten million people in the United States have noise-related hearing loss and about twenty-two million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise each and every year.
In 2008, about 2 million U.S. workers were exposed to noise levels at work that put them at risk to losing their hearings. A statistic from 2007 says that about 23,000 cases of hearing loss were presorted that year and that this was great enough to cause hearing impairment. 14% of all occupational injuries were hearing loss claims that year. Another report shows that about 82% of all occupational hearing loss cases were reported among workers in the manufacturing sector.
In addition to workplaces, there are other locations where hearing loss is possible. Some people will suffer music-induced hearing loss from turning their stereo up to loud in the car or from being at a concert where the volume was unbearable. In the past, some have even won lawsuits against bands for the high levels of noise. Also, some sports such as stock car racing or the loud bugles at soccer games can cause ear damage.
Research shows that music played at night clubs and music venues expose visitors and workers to noise levels that are above the internationally recommended decibel level. Workers who lose their capability to hear while in these places need to file a lawsuit against their employer promptly and explain the issue.
Individuals can also lose their hearing at indoor firing ranges. All individuals who visit the firing range should be provided with headphones and told to keep them on when in the room. If you work or train regularly at a firing range, you can be exposed to hazardous levels of noise if you do not wear those headphones. Millions of officers are trained at indoor firing ranges. If you lose your hearing while at one of these ranges, then you can contact a personal injury lawyer near you and begin a lawsuit.
People can also lose their hearing if they are near the site of an explosion. If you are near the site of an explosion and are unable to recover your hearing after the accident, then you have an explosion injury and have the right to sue the party responsible. If you have suffered any sort of hearing loss, don't hesitate to contact a local personal injury lawyer today to learn more about the firm.