Many professions expose workers to occupational noise. While human beings primarily experience the world through their eyes and we take great lengths to protect our vision, the same care is not taken in protecting workers’ hearing. Occupational hearing loss refers to the gradual process in which an employee who is exposed to industrial noise over time sustains damage to his or her hearing.
To qualify for an award for occupational hearing loss, a worker generally must have been employed in a job in New York where they were exposed to harmful noise for at least 90 days. This requirement is different for traumatic hearing loss caused by a specific workplace accident or event. Occupational hearing loss claims also have unique filing requirements and deadlines, so it is important to understand your rights and take the appropriate steps to protect your claim.
If you or a loved one is suffering from hearing loss due to workplace conditions, contact our firm today. The attorneys of Bangel, Cohen & Falconetti, have decades of experience in helping New Yorkers get the benefits they need from industrial deafness claims. We provide focused personal attention and aggressive action to get you the results you need.
How Hearing Loss Affects Workers
If you are a construction worker, machinist, musician or other type of person reliant on their hearing, protection is a high priority. However, protection is not perfect, as hearing loss can be hard to self-diagnose. Look out for such symptoms as:
- Tinnitus: The characteristic “ringing” when you have heard a loud noise. If you hear tinnitus all the time, then it is a strong possibility that your hearing has been damaged.
- High-pitch loss: The ability to hear high-pitched sound is one of the first things to be damaged. If you are having a harder time hearing the highest notes in a song you may have hearing loss
- Muffled sound: If you believe people around you are mumbling or just talking too quietly, there is a strong possibility you are starting to lose hearing.
If you believe you are losing your hearing due to conditions at work, our lawyers want to speak with you. We want to know what has happened, so we can build a plan to move forward with you.
Hearing Loss Claims Require Personal Attention
If you rely on your hearing to do your job or conditions at work have caused you to suffer hearing loss, contact us today at 718-446-4400. We will schedule a free consultation with an attorney from our Queens office who can answer your questions, explain your options, and help you understand the workers’ compensation process. There are no upfront attorney fees.
