We have solicitors that understand work related deafness and are able to claim compensation even if you have worked for different employers over many years. Catherine Smith introduces our no win no fee service in this video. Our no win no fee service includes deafness claims.

Read more about hearing loss at work below, or use our free legal advice service opposite to ask us a question or to get started making a claim.

Hearing Loss Claims

Work related hearing loss is also known as industrial deafness, occupational deafness and noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). There are a number of specific hearing loss conditions, the most common of which are tinnitus and acoustic shock. The range of hearing disorders is broad, and deafness can be classified as mild, moderate, severe or profound. Work related hearing loss is far more common than most people imagine. The Health and Safety Executive have estimated that over a million workers are exposed to dangerous levels of noise in the workplace, while over 80,000 people a year in the UK are diagnosed with hearing problems related to their place of work. Though hearing loss can be caused by a variety of factors outside the workplace, the most important of which is natural ageing (presbyacusis), noise induced hearing loss can be distinguished scientifically, because victims display sensitivity to certain sounds and particular frequencies of sound. This makes it easier for injured persons to being a hearing loss claim against their employer.

Symptoms Of Hearing Loss

The majority of people do not notice their hearing loss straight away, and will often put it down to ageing. That is because as you get older, the combined effect of your hearing having been damaged due to noise, and natural ageing make hearing loss more noticeable. The first symptom of noise induced hearing loss is an increased difficulty in hearing conversation against background noise. It can also manifest itself in troubling or persistent earache. A more serious condition is tinnitus, where cells in the inner ear have sustained damage, and the brain subsequently receives 'faulty' electrical impulses from the ear. Tinnitus involves a ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ear, which can be intermittent, continuous and affect one or both ears. Acoustic shock is another form of work related hearing loss, and results from a sudden burst of loud noise through a headset. Hearing loss caused by noise is normally cumulative and worsens over time, potentially leading to permanent deafness.

Read Case Study: Former British Coal Worker Wins Compensation For Noise Induced Hearing Loss

Who Is Affected By Work Related Hearing Loss?

Over the last few decades certain industries and jobs have generated the vast majority of hearing loss claims. These include most workplaces where noisy machinery and tools are regularly used, such as on factory production lines where cars, ships and automotive components are manufactured. Mining, construction, engineering, transportation, cotton / textile production, quarrying, stone cutting and agriculture are all industries in which workers can be exposed to unacceptable levels of noise. It is likely that the next few decades will witness an upsurge in noise induced hearing loss claims, especially from employees who work in nightclubs, pubs and restaurants where noise is regularly excessive.

Read Blog Covering: Deafness Compensation FAQ's

Read More In Our Blog About: Mobile Phones and Tinnitus

Employers Must Take Steps To Prevent Injuries At Work

In 1963 the UK Government published a document confirming that noise at work could cause hearing loss and tinnitus. From this date onwards, employers have been legally obliged to eliminate as far as possible the risk posed to workers by excessive noise. The most up to date piece of legislation is The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, requiring employers to reduce noise levels as far as practically possible, and where noise is an integral part of the job, to provide personal protective equipment and ensure that such equipment is used by workers. Employers must also regularly risk assess work to ensure a safe noise level is maintained. Prolonged exposure to any noise over 80db is generally held to be an unacceptable level of noise. Your employer's duties are governed by a number of workplace regulations and in particular:

Factories Act 1961
Noise at Work Regulations 1989
Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992
Provision of Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
Noise at Work Regulations 2005

Hearing Loss Claims And Compensation Awards

If you have worked in a noisy environment and not been provided with hearing protection, you may be able to make a compensation claim for work related hearing loss. Even if the place where you worked has been demolished and the company no longer exists, you can claim from your previous employer for hearing damage and bring a hearing loss claim. Your employer had a duty to provide employers liability insurance. There are ways of checking whether or not a company did have insurance, and where they did the work related hearing loss claim can be directed against the insurers. Bartletts Solicitors are specialists in the field of work related hearing loss claims. We work on a no win no fee basis meaning if you win your case your employer's insurance company will pay all of your legal fees.