If you work in a noisy environment, it is important that provision is made to protect your hearing, and under noise regulations contained in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (2007), your employer has a legal obligation to introduce measures that reduces your exposure to noise. Should your employer fail to keep noise levels down or provide effective protection for his employees, he is in breach of these regulations, and anybody suffering damage to their hearing as a result is entitled to make a hearing loss compensation claim.
In order to be eligible to make a hearing loss compensation claim, you have to have suffered an injury which has resulted in a level of hearing loss – not necessarily total deafness. There are four recognised levels of hearing loss that you are entitled to claim compensation for, before you reach total deafness:
Tinnitus – A constant distant ringing or whistling in the ears which can appear suddenly or develop over a number of years.
Acoustic Trauma – A loss of hearing following a single, very loud noise, frequently associated with a physical injury such as a perforated eardrum.
Temporary Threshold Shift – A temporary dullness of hearing after working for a long period in a noisy environment.
Permanent Threshold Shift – When the above condition becomes permanent and you stop hearing sounds in certain audio frequencies.
If you experience any level of hearing loss or aural pain in your ear, it is recommended that you make an appointment to visit your family doctor and have an audiometric test. By explaining what it is that you do for a living, your doctor will be able to connect your hearing loss with your occupation, and the resulting notes in your medical records will be used to support your hearing loss compensation claim.
Making a Hearing Loss Compensation Claim
Although a hearing loss compensation claim follows the same process as any industrial injury, there are many hurdles to overcome if you wish your claim to be successful. Not least is the lack of guidelines in the “Book of Quantum” to enable the Injuries Board Ireland to make a fair and adequate assessment of your hearing loss compensation claim.
Furthermore, if your employer should deny responsibility for your injuries, or claim that you contributed to them yourself by not following set procedures, the case would be rejected by the Injuries Board Ireland and the process of litigation would begin. Consequently, it is in your best interests to speak with a specialist personal injury claims solicitor at the very earliest opportunity when considering making a hearing loss compensation claim.
To make it easier to obtain clear advice when making a hearing loss compensation claim, we have set up a free advice telephone service. You, or a family member, are invited to call 1800 989 995 and speak directly with a solicitor, ask questions relating to a hearing loss compensation claim and receive valuable and helpful advice. The call and the service are both free, and there is no obligation to proceed with a claim once you have spoken with us.
Our Promise to You:
- 100% Total confidentiality
- 100% Impartial and accurate advice
- 100% Up-to-the-minute information
- 100% No pressure to proceed with a claim
What You Can Expect When You Call
We have many years of experience helping clients who have suffered an industrial injury through the negligence of an employer and this includes assisting with paperwork for complex issues such as a hearing loss compensation claim. Therefore, you will find us sympathetic to your injury and taking our time to explain your options as clearly as possible.
We will want to know the circumstances surrounding your hearing loss, at what level it has been diagnosed and how severely it has affected your quality of life. We would also like to hear about your work environment and what the factors were that led up to your hearing injury.
Wherever possible, we will make a preliminary assessment of your hearing loss compensation claim and advise you if we feel that you have a case which is worth your while to pursue. If so, we will advise you how long we expect your case to take and give you an indication of the level of compensation we would expect you to receive.
You may also have several questions for us, or may have received conflicting advice about making a hearing loss compensation claim. We will resolve any queries for you and, at the conclusion of our conversation, offer a selection of options tailor-made to your personal circumstances.
You are under no obligation to act on any of our suggestions, but to initially establish that you are indeed entitled to make a hearing loss compensation claim, please call our free advice telephone service at your earliest convenience. The number to call is 1800 989 995, and our lines are open from 8.00am to 10.00pm, seven days a week.
If you would rather that we call you, or somebody in your family, should your hearing be badly damaged, please complete the contact box below with the name of the person we should speak with and a convenient time at which to call. We look forward to hearing from you and assure you of a dedicated and professional service at all times.
