Hearing loss is one of the most common work related injuries according to the CDC. Every year, approximately 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous levels of occupational noise, sometimes resulting in hearing loss.
Construction workers, manufacturers and miners are most likely to succumb to hearing impairment due to conditions on the job. Many workers in these industries are unaware of the risks associated with prolonged exposure to even moderate noise. Out dated regulations, lack of training or failure to enforce existing safety procedures perpetuates the problem year after year.
Unfortunately for those who suffer from hearing loss, it is not a matter of simply not being able to hear as well as they use to. Symptoms can include pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears and associated stress and depression. For many, hearing loss is debilitating and can result in an inability to work.
Iowa’s workers’ compensation law requires most employers to provide wage loss and medical benefits to employees who are injured on the job. Injuries may include any health condition caused by work activities including hearing loss. Depending on the extent of your hearing loss, you may be eligible for up to 50 weeks of permanent partial disability for one ear or 175 weeks if it involves both ears.
As with all workers’ compensation claims, you must be able to show that your hearing loss was work related. However, you can still get workers’ compensation when conditions at work aggravate a prior injury.
If you have suffered hearing loss as a result of conditions in the workplace, contact the personal injury, workers’ compensation law offices of McDonald, Woodward & Carlson PC. We have helped many Quad-Cities workers get the compensation they need for lost wages, medical bills and sometimes damages for pain and suffering in cases of negligence or third party liability. Contact our experienced attorneys for help today.