If you’ve suffered hearing loss after a car accident, it’s critical to start taking steps to build a strong case and pursue compensation for your injuries. Understand how car accidents can cause hearing loss, steps to take and how you can get the compensation you deserve.
Understanding Hearing Loss as a Result of Car Accidents
Car accidents can cause hearing loss with head trauma, which may damage inner ear structures. The noise or impact of airbag deployment may lead to hearing loss, and whiplash injuries can damage neck muscles connected to the inner ear.
Car accidents are associated with different types of hearing loss, including:
- Conductive: Muffled hearing from middle ear bone damage that prevents sound waves from reaching the inner ear
- Sensorineural: Permanent hearing loss caused by inner ear or auditory nerve damage
- Mixed: Hearing loss from conductive and sensorineural injury
Immediate effects may include ringing in the ears (tinnitus), muffled hearing, pain or pressure in the ears, dizziness or complete hearing loss. Long-term effects of hearing loss include increased difficulty communicating, social isolation, cognitive impairment or decline, an increased risk of falls and dizziness, struggles with workplace demands and an increased risk of developing dementia.
Common Causes of Hearing Loss in Car Accidents
The most common causes of hearing loss in car accidents are:
- Trauma From Airbags and Head Injuries: Force of a crash, airbag impact or hitting your head during the accident can lead to inner/middle ear trauma
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: The decibel (dB) level of deployed airbags — up to 178dB — and collision sounds around 140dB can damage delicate inner ear structures
- Whiplash and Inner Ear Damage: Damage to neck muscles that occurs in whiplash may cause hearing loss by affecting the inner ear or auditory nerve
Medical Steps To Take After Suspecting Hearing Loss
If you suspect hearing loss after a car accident, it’s critical to get medical attention right away. Diagnostic tests like audiograms and CT or MRI scans are vital for assessing hearing loss and other accident-related medical problems. See an audiologist as soon as you experience hearing problems to learn about your treatment options, including hearing aids, surgery or rehabilitation.
Timely medical care can help you rule out other injuries, improve your chances of recovery and strengthen your claims if you decide to pursue compensation.
Get guidance on the medical steps you need to take to prove hearing loss and pursue compensation after a car accident by calling Tom Ueberschaer now at 850-434-8778.
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Ask Tom Today!Proving Hearing Loss in Legal Claims
Strong medical documentation, expert testimony and demonstrating effects on your quality of life and earning capacity after hearing loss may help you build a stronger case.
- Medical Documentation: Medical records, images and diagnoses after the accident help to substantiate the injury.
- Expert Testimony: Medical experts can help show the connection between the accident and hearing loss in court.
- Impact on Quality of Life and Earning Capacity: Demonstrating negative impacts on your quality of life and diminished earning capacity after hearing loss can support your claims.
Pursuing Compensation for Hearing Loss
It’s your right to seek compensation for hearing loss after a car accident. You should understand different types of compensation, common challenges and the role of an attorney in the process.
Types of Compensation
- Medical Expenses: May cover past, current and future medical bills related to hearing loss
- Lost Wages: May cover current and future wages lost due to hearing loss from the accident
- Pain and Suffering: May compensate you for emotional distress and negative impact on quality of life from hearing loss
Challenges in Hearing Loss Claims
Proving hearing loss is challenging because audiograms are the gold standard. However, they are usually conducted in quiet rooms, which can skew testing results and disguise some hearing problems. In addition, a range of variables and parameters in audiogram results make it challenging to quantify hearing loss in some cases. Connecting hearing loss to the accident may require strong medical records showing immediate post-accident medical care and expert testimony.
The Role of an Attorney
An experienced attorney can help guide you through the process of filing damages, arrange expert testimony to help prove hearing loss and navigate the complexities of your claim to ensure you get the maximum compensation for your injuries.
Get the Compensation You Deserve After a Car Accident
If you’ve experienced hearing loss after a car accident, don’t navigate the legal process alone. Reach out to Tom Ueberschaer for expert legal advice and support. Tom understands the significant impact hearing loss can have on your life and will work tirelessly to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Starting your case is easy — contact Tom today to begin your journey toward recovery and justice. You can seek justice without financial stress with a no-win, no-fee guarantee.