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Hearing Loss Claims UK & Compensation

We specialise in helping victims of hearing loss claim the compensation they deserve

Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Claims

Here at The Compensation Experts, we work with the UK’s leading personal injury lawyers. Wherever you are in the UK, we can give you access to hearing loss compensation solicitors with years of experience. They may be able to help you with your industrial deafness claim.

Work related hearing loss makes up nearly three-quarters of all industrial illness claims every year. If excessive exposure to loud noises has damaged your hearing, our agents are on hand to offer a free industrial deafness claim conversation. We can assist you with claims for acoustic shock and tinnitus compensation.

Types of Hearing Loss Compensation Claims

Industrial deafness claims

When a person has excessive exposure to loud noise (over 80 decibels) in their workplace for long periods of time, it can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. This condition is known as industrial deafness, and you may be eligible for hearing loss compensation.

Early symptoms of hearing loss include having to increase the volume on your phone or television, struggling to hear people speak when there is background noise, and people having to say your name repeatedly to get your attention. It may feel like sounds are muffled or far away.

Acoustic Shock

Unlike industrial deafness, which is caused by exposure to loud noise over a period of time, Acoustic Shock is hearing loss which happens after one incident. You can experience Acoustic Shock from a poor-quality headset, loud shouting or a sudden explosion.

Acoustic shock is a leading cause of hearing loss among call centre workers. To avoid industrial hearing loss from Acoustic Shock, health professionals recommend that staff should have headsets which block noise above 118 decibels. However, it is cheaper to buy headphones that don’t offer this functionality.

Tinnitus Compensation

If you have ever heard live music up close, or been too near a speaker in a nightclub, you may have had tinnitus. Tinnitus is a high-pitched sound, like ringing or a whistle that may initially appear to be coming from an external source.

In its mildest form, tinnitus will dissipate within 24 hours, but more severe cases can be permanent. Tinnitus can affect one or both ears and may vary in volume, so get in touch to see if you’re eligible to make a claim for hearing loss.

Industrial Hearing Loss at Work

The Compensation Experts can help a victim of industrial hearing loss. The highest number of hearing compensation claims come from industries such as:

  • Construction
  • Manufacturing
  • Call centres
  • Music.

Awareness of the damage of long-term exposure to noise and the benefits of protective equipment is improving; however, figures from the Health and Safety Executive show that there are still around 18,000 people in the UK who have suffered work related hearing loss or had an existing hearing problem made worse due to poor working conditions.

Claiming for hearing loss at work

For a hearing loss compensation claim, you will need to prove that your condition is genuine and that it was as a result of your employer’s negligence. This might have come through either not informing you of the risks or not providing you with safety equipment to protect your hearing. You have to prove that you were in no way responsible for the injury.

To help support your industrial deafness claim, The Compensation Experts will speak to witnesses and gather evidence. We appreciate how hearing loss can impact day-to-day life, even if it is only temporary, so we take every step to see if you can claim the maximum compensation for your injury.

You can help progress your claim for hearing loss with these helpful actions:

  • Notify your employer, as soon as you notice your industrial hearing loss. Also, request a Health and Safety assessment of your workstation and equipment. If you don’t request this in writing, keep a record of when you did it and who you spoke to.
  • Employers are bound by law (the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005) to take action when noise created by machinery and equipment goes above 80 decibels. The Health and Safety Executive reports that the loudest workplaces are glass bottling plants, with saws and cutting machinery the worst equipment to be around. In these environments, sound levels can reach 107 decibels.
  • See a doctor for tests, so there is medical evidence to support your industrial deafness claim.
  • Keep notes about how your hearing is affected daily. Take photos or make notes about the machinery or equipment, as well as any protective gear you use, such as noise-cancelling headphones or headsets with acoustic limiters.

Your Employer’s Responsibility

Your employer must measure noise levels as part of their risk assessment. They’re also obliged to take steps towards protecting workers’ hearing when the volume regularly reaches 80 or 85 decibels (industry dependent). These measures can include:

  • Reducing working hours to limit exposure to noise
  • Providing protective equipment like earplugs or sound filtering headsets
  • Replacing machinery or adapting it to make it quieter
  • Adding sound-absorbing materials and using barriers

Hearing Loss Claims Case Studies

The personal injury lawyers we work with have experience making claims for people looking for loss of hearing compensation.

Example One – a police constable who worked in the communications division

The police constable regularly used a headset to take phone calls from the public and answer radio calls from police officers. When the claim for hearing loss began, lawyers representing the police force denied liability.

They stated that they had taken all Health and Safety precautions, and the level of noise could not be considered “excessive”. Lawyers acting on behalf of the claimant contacted some current and former colleagues of the client and discovered several of them were also suffering from recurring tinnitus and industrial hearing loss.

As part of their evidence gathering, lawyers got an engineer’s report. It verified the headset used by the client had no noise limiter, and that volume was often more than 87 decibels. This report was enough to prove the police force failed in their duty of care. It also proved that the claimant’s industrial hearing loss could have been prevented. They reached an agreement for loss of hearing compensation out of court.

Example Two – a construction worker who worked at the same company for over 20 years

The construction worker only recognised work related hearing loss after he changed jobs to somewhere quieter. He had assumed his inability to hear people speaking was due to the noise of a construction site. However, when he found himself struggling to hear properly, even without the background noise, he sought professional advice regarding compensation for hearing loss.

After acting, specialist tests proved the extent of his industrial hearing loss. This meant that his lawyers were able to build an industrial deafness claim, proving negligence on behalf of his employers, as they had only introduced adequate protection against noisy machinery within the last four years. This machinery included pneumatic drills, which are known to cause work related hearing loss without the correct PPE.

Here is another example of hearing loss, posted by The Guardian.

Claim for Hearing Loss

At The Compensation Experts, we work on a No Win No Fee* basis. It makes legal representation available to everyone who needs it, and offers reassurance that we will do all we can to obtain compensation for you; if you don’t get paid then neither do we! *conditions may apply. Please see details at the bottom of the page.

Your loss of hearing compensation claim starts when you contact The Compensation Experts. We provide a free, no-obligation conversation, where we will assess the circumstances around your injury. We will then allocate a solicitor who has experience of handling hearing compensation claims. Together, we will keep you informed every step of the way.

The amount of compensation you receive depends on the severity and permanence of your condition, what caused it, and any financial loss you have experienced through being unable to work.

It can also cover private medical treatment or prescriptions. We can’t reverse time and prevent your industrial hearing loss from occurring, but we can certainly help make your future easier.

Compensation Payments for Hearing Loss Claims and Tinnitus Compensation

It is hard to give an estimate of how much money you can expect from a hearing loss compensation claim. What you can be sure of, though, is that your payment won’t be a random amount. It will be calculated to reflect the effect your injury has had on your life.

The severity of tinnitus is categorised between 1 and 5. Here, 1 represents the least impact, and 5 demonstrates significant work related hearing loss that affects every aspect of a sufferer’s life.

1. Slight

Only noticeable in very quiet environments. Does not prevent a suffer from sleeping or doing their normal work or leisure activities.

2. Mild

Occasionally noticeable in quiet environments, but does not interfere with normal life. On rare occasions, sleep may be interrupted.

3. Moderate

Can usually be heard over sounds like traffic or group chatter. Does not prevent a sufferer from carrying on with their life.

4. Severe

Severe tinnitus is always noticeable, even in loud environments, so you should be eligible for tinnitus compensation. Can prevent sleep and interfere with daily activities. Some hearing loss may also accompany severe tinnitus.

5. Catastrophic

This level of tinnitus is extremely rare and can be very painful. Sufferers may experience depression, and an inability to concentrate on activities like driving or watching television. It affects every aspect of life.

Recent tinnitus compensation payments have ranged from £2,500 to £35,000, while industrial deafness claims have received up to £83,000. Talk to our panel of experts who can give you a more accurate idea of how much your claim could be worth.

Claiming Compensation for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)

To make a claim for hearing loss, you must have evidence to prove working conditions were the cause of your injury. Additionally, you should be aware of the hearing loss claim time limit, which generally stands at 3 years. You will need to show evidence of:

  • Your employment, for example, payslips or an employment contract.
  • Medical results that show the level of industrial hearing loss. This is usually an audiology test.
  • The excessive noise in your working environment that caused your NIHL. It is important to be thorough, so your employer does not reject your claim. Similarly, if it goes to court, the judge will need sufficient information to give you a fair assessment.

If you are unable to prove the link between your industrial hearing loss and working conditions, a judge may reject their claim or decide on a lower amount of compensation. You will not be able to change this. It is not possible to ask for more loss of hearing compensation at a later date, if you discover your injury is worse than initially thought.

Contact Us

The easiest way to find out whether you can claim compensation for hearing loss or tinnitus is to talk to The Compensation Experts. We are here to assist with support, and top-quality legal representation.

Fill in our quick contact form today and let us call at a time that suits you.

*conditions may apply

    Start by speaking to our expert team now and find out how much your claim could be worth...

    Am I eligible?

    If you have experienced Acoustic Shock or tinnitus at work, through someone else’s negligence, the hearing loss claim time limit is generally 3 years. Exceptions to this include if you were a child at the time of the accident. In this case, you may have a longer period to claim.

    Find out more

    How much could I claim?

    As every case of work related hearing loss is different, each industrial deafness claim can pay differently, with varying factors contributing to the final figure. These include: extent of your industrial hearing loss, loss of earnings, and future losses.
    Our dedicated team of experts will give you an indication of how much you could potentially claim for, if you’ve experienced work related hearing loss.

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    How does the process work?

    We understand that, when making hearing compensation claims, it’s important to know what to expect. That’s why we make the hearing loss compensation process as transparent & clear as possible.
    Your solicitor will gather all the evidence, before notifying the negligent party that you wish to begin an industrial deafness claim. Your solicitor will negotiate on your behalf, and keep you up to date.

    Find out more