Exposure to loud noise is one of the most prolific types of workplace injuries in New Jersey and the rest of the nation. Around the nation, about 30 million people suffer some type of injury due to exposure to loud noise levels that cause temporary or permanent hearing damage. The noise might be a constant, daily workplace hazard, such as loud machinery that operates throughout a work shift. Such noise hazards often cause temporary or partial permanent hearing loss.
Tinnitus is perhaps the most prolific type of hearing loss suffered in the workplace. Tinnitus often manifests itself as a distant, yet constant ringing noise that gradually increases over time.
Exposure to loud noise also can be sudden and very traumatic. An explosion or similar accidental cause of an especially loud noise can cause immediate and permanent hearing damage. In such cases, workers often receive treatment more rapidly, but the sudden exposure causes permanent hearing loss.
New Jersey workers’ compensation insurance covers hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noise. Many New Jersey workers are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound that could cause tinnitus and even complete deafness if not diagnosed and treated in time. A doctor must diagnose the condition and determine the level of hearing loss for workers’ compensation. Hearing loss in one ear gets anywhere from about $130 in compensation for partial hearing loss up to nearly $13,000 for 60 weeks for complete hearing loss in one hear.
Hearing loss in two ears gets about $430 for two weeks for partial damage, up to $75,000 for 200 weeks for total hearing loss. Determining the causes of hearing loss often requires the help of an experienced workplace injury attorney.
If you or a loved one has suffered an on-the-job injury in South Jersey or metropolitan Philadelphia, let the experienced legal team at Petrillo and Goldberg help you in this troubling time.
