Work-Related Hearing Loss
Hearing is one of our most important senses. It alters every aspect of daily life when we lose it.
If you've lost your hearing or your hearing has become seriously impaired as the result of exposure to loud noise in the workplace or a sudden workplace injury, you may qualify for Workers' Compensation benefits.
Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyers
Founded by a Former Workers' Compensation Judge
The Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation attorneys at Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo have extensive experience handling all types of Work Comp claims and appeals, including work-related hearing loss, against employers and their Workers' Compensation insurance carriers. When you need an experienced lawyer, you want a lawyer from Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo.
Noisy Workplaces Can Cause Permanent Hearing Loss
Work-related hearing loss is almost always caused by acoustic trauma. This type of inner ear damage can be caused by a one-time exposure to an extremely loud noise, such as a gunshot or explosion. More often, hearing is gradually diminished by repeated exposure to loud sounds over a period of time.
The period of time it takes to produce diminishment in hearing level or range, or even nerve damage, is not long. When work-related hearing loss occurs more gradually, after prolonged exposure to certain types of noise, a worker may not even realize that his or her ability to hear normal levels of sound is impaired until symptoms become severe.
Warning signs of hearing loss include sounds becoming muffled or distorted; a ringing or roaring sound in one or both ears; a loss of ability to hear high-pitched noises; and increasing difficulty in understanding what others are saying.
How Can I Tell if My Job is Too Noisy?
Whether job-related noise causes inner ear damage depends on its loudness, its pitch, the length of your exposure to it, and whether you wear ear protection, such as a headset or ear plugs. The louder the sound, the shorter time you can be exposed to it before your hearing may be permanently damaged. Constant exposure to 85 decibels of sound or more can damage hearing over time. An average power tool produces about 100 decibels of sound. 120 decibels may cause permanent hearing loss after only a few hours. A nearby nail gun can produce as much as 140 to 170 decibels and could cause damage immediately.
Consider your workplace. Do you ever have to shout above the noise to be heard? Is it difficult to understand what someone is saying in a normal voice when they are only two feet away? If so, your workplace noise levels require protective equipment or they may cause injury.
Meeting Your Needs
At Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo, we provide superior service to our clients. With thirteen Workers' Compensation attorneys on staff, an attorney is always available to speak with you. We offer evening and weekend appointments, and have offices in Pottsville, Allentown, Philadelphia, Reading, Bloomsburg, and Harrisburg. The lawyers are also constantly on the road traveling throughout the state so that they can make themselves available.
TO LEARN MORE, please review:
Workers' Compensation - an Overview
Articles about Workers' Compensation
Workers' Compensation Settlements
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact a Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation lawyer at Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo about your work-related hearing loss.
