Tinnitus Injuries due to Brain Injury, Ear Trauma, Car Accidents, and Workplace Accidents

If you experienced an accident at work and now perceive a noise or ringing in your ears, it is possible that you are experiencing tinnitus. It is not an uncommon issue as it affects every one in five people in the U.S. Tinnitus is a symptom of an underlying disorder, it is not a condition. Common underlying conditions include old age, ear injury, or a circulatory disorder. And while it can occur naturally, accidents to the ear are a big issue because it is not known how many people suffer from the symptom. Hearing loss is a huge issue in the country and it is not known how many people perceive the ringing of tinnitus because many people do not file claims. The biggest reason that people with tinnitus do not file claims, according to John Ratliff, a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association’s noise committee, is because they don’t know they can file a claim for it.

Tinnitus-Causing Accidents at Work

Loud Noises: You have extremely fine, microscopic hairs in your inner-ear that move in response to sound waves, which then trigger your ear cells to release electrical signals down the auditory nerve to your brain. Your brain then interprets the electrical signal as sound. These are fragile hairs and can get damaged if the sound wave is strong enough. If the hairs get bent or broken, they can twitch and, in a sense, leak electrical signals to your brain, making your brain believe it hears something. If you work near loud machinery, like at a factory, construction site, or other such environment, you may be at risk of damaging your inner-ear hairs. If you experience a ringing in your ears and believe the loud noises of your work contributed to it, contact our LA law firm today. Blunt Force Trauma: When you hit your head against a solid object, it can cause some serious damage to your inner-ear, the hearing nerves, or any brain function that is linked to hearing. When an accident like this occurs, it generally only causes one ear to experience the ringing. Accidents at work can include a falling object hitting your head, machinery malfunction that impacts your ear or head, or even commercial auto driving accidents. When you experience whiplash and the forces attributed to the impact damage the workings of your inner ear or you experience brain damage. In addition to the force your brain experiences during a car accident, sound may damage your hearing cells. Airbags must deploy quickly — within fractions of a second after the initial collision — in order for the airbag to cushion and soften the impact force. Because airbags expand so quickly, it displaces a lot of air, producing a large pressure wave, or a sound wave. This intensity of this pressure wave can damage the hairs in the cochlea and lead to tinnitus. Traffic Accidents are the leading cause of brain injury in the United States. Other causes of brain injuries include slip and fall accidents, ladder falls, falling objects, construction site accident, and workplace accidents. 

Average Value of Tinnitus Injury

Trauma triggered tinnitus can be achieved from an accident, or from any type of traumatic injury. Tinnitus is the “ringing in the ears” that people hear as a result of hearing loss, head injury or even as a symptom of depression after an accident. Unfortunately, there are no drug treatments that are effective for tinnitus, but some healthcare professionals have offered sufferers the use of:

• Hearing aids
• Wide-band sound therapy
• Counseling
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

How Much Do These Cases Settle for In Trial?

Tinnitus cases can settle for six figures in a trial, because the sound of tinnitus can “drive someone crazy,” and there is no cure for it. A person who never had the condition, and then who acquires it after an accident will feel he or she is going slowly crazy, what with the ringing, buzzing, clicking or constant hissing, sizzling or other odd noises that they hear in their brain from tinnitus. This diagnosis shows that a person can have tinnitus for an indetermined amount of time, permanently, intermittently, or only on occasion when other triggers persist and exist. The problem is that no one can stop tinnitus once a sufferer develops it, no one at all! For this reason, it is highly compensated at trial ($100,000 to $450,000), when a person who never heard noises suddenly does – it can severely limit the quality of the person’s life going forward.

How Much Should My Lawyer Demand and Ask for in a Tinnitus Injury Mediation?

The demand for recovery compensation for a diagnosis of tinnitus will depend on a myriad of factors. There are many questions that will need to be addressed before a figure will be reviewed for reimbursement for this mysterious disease diagnosis. The noise of tinnitus can be heard by the sufferer in the head, outside the head, or in the ears, and it can come on suddenly, crescendo and lower without warning. Tinnitus sufferers are unable to stop the noises, which can be abrupt, loud and attention capturing, preventing them from going about their normal daily activities. The noises can be debilitating, as the sufferer has no way to abate the noises, which will work to surely control the person’s entire life over time. A demand starting at $100,000 is not unusual, nor is it extreme that the number for a recovery package go up past the $450,000 mark, situation depending.

File a Workers’ Compensation Claim for Tinnitus

Most healthcare plans do not cover the cost of hearing aids. Hearing aids are the most common and effective method to treat hearing loss or other hearing illnesses. Even Medicare does not provide hearing aids. This is unfortunate because the technology around hearing aids has improved exponentially and the newest hearing aids can be digitally programmed and suppress unnecessary background noise. You can file a workers’ compensation in order to get compensated for your troubles. In order for you to receive workers’ compensation, you have to get a medical professional to determine the legitimacy and extent of the damage. Tinnitus can be a debilitating condition and may only get worse as you age. You may be entitled to receive compensation for your injury. In general, for hearing loss-related injuries, people are entitled to receive compensation for partial disability if your hearing injury was caused by an explosion, repeated exposure to loud noises, or other work-related injuries that affected your auditory senses. Your employer’s insurance company will attempt to give you an amount that will simply not cover all of your damages. Even if it does cover the medical treatment, it may fall short on the compensation you deserve for trauma and other suffering that you went through. This is why you need a quality lawyer that will ensure you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Our qualified attorneys at the DTLA Law Group are here for you and will get you the compensation you deserve.

Information on Tinnitus

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury a Leading Cause:  Mild Brain Damage, and in particular, closed head injuries, are a leading cause of Tinnitus. According to medical practitioners brain injuries affect our hearing and can lead to not only hearing loss but hearing of internal sounds. The reason being our brains are responsible for producing the sounds we hear from external sources. Our ears tunnel the sound waves through our ear canal and stimulate the fine hairs. When these hairs move, they send electrical pulses to our brains, which then translate the sound waves into sounds. When your brain is injured, it is possible the area responsible for hearing gets damaged and may produce phantom sounds that do not exist. Other causes of Tinnitus include:

• Extreme loud noise includclose-rangeange gunfire, and explosions
• Brain hemorrhaging and brain tumors
• Chemical exposure
• Automobile accidents
• Assault and battery injuries
• Use of medication
• Medical Malpractice – Including Surgery Error and Prescription Error
• Loud Noise in the Workplace

  Tinnitus resulting from ear injuries: Symptoms of ear injuries are varied based on what part of the ear was damaged: Some common symptoms include:

• Bleeding of the ear
• Cauliflower ear
• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Inability to walk correctly
• Swelling of the ear
• Ear Pain
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Loss of hearing

In many instances tinnitus may be a continuing complication of ear trauma. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms seek medical treatment immediately. After you have been properly treated contact our ear injury lawyer for a free evaluation of your claim.  Our expert legal team has the knowledge and experience to determine whether you have a viable cause of action for your injuries. What compensation can I receive for my personal injury Claim?

• Medical Expenses: Medical expenses include all medical bills and costs
• Future Medical Expenses: Unfortunately, the effects of a car accident can often be felt for months, years, or even a lifetime after the injury occurred.
• Lost Wages: After an accident, you are entitled to any income you lost.
• Loss of Earning Capacity: In addition to current lost wages, victims of brain injuries are eligible to receive compensation for future lost wages.
• Pain and Suffering: Including Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Anxiety and depression resulting from your brain injury

Statute of Limitations for Filing a Tinnitus Case

You have exactly one year from the date of the accident to file your case. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations, and nearly all crimes have it; think of it like an expiration date. If you pass the statute of limitations, your case will not be reviewed and likely thrown out. One year may seem like a long time, but the date can quickly approach and catch you off-guard. A qualified attorney will take care of the legal process to ensure you get all the necessary paperwork and file all the necessary motions before the statute of limitations expires.

How Long Does It Take to Settle a Tinnitus Lawsuit?

No matter whether you have already started your claim or are thinking about starting your claim, you might have many questions about how long the process could take. You might have some of the following questions:

• How long does it take to settle an ear injury case?
• How long does it take to settle a tinnitus ear injury lawsuit?
• Why is my lawyer taking a long time to settle my case?

These questions are all very common. After all, it can be very frustrating to have to wait for your case to settle, so it helps to understand how long the process could take. Every ear injury lawsuit is different, so there is no one timeframe that can apply to every claim. In general, the time that it takes to reach a settlement will depend on the details surrounding each claim.

Here at our law firm, we aim to settle the injury claims we handle within six to eight months. We want to get you the best settlement possible within a reasonable time. However, this is not always possible. Certain complications with claims (i.e., the claimant not completing medical care, the insurance company not cooperating, etc.) can all delay the settlement process. Moderate issues with a case can cause significant delays and result in settlements taking 12 to 18 months. Severe issues can result in cases taking 24 months or more to settle.

Is your lawyer taking too long to settle your case? Your lawyer might simply be trying to negotiate the best settlement possible, which will delay the settlement but get you the best outcome possible. However, in some cases, your lawyer might actually be the problem – your lawyer might be inexperienced, unskilled, or simply not capable of handling your claim effectively. Some lawyers take on claims knowing that they cannot handle them, and their clients are the ones who end up on the losing end. If you believe that your lawyer is the reason that your case is taking so long to settle, you always have the option of switching lawyers and finding representation that better suits your case. Here at our firm, we can provide you with a free second opinion and help you make the switch.

For more information about how long it could take to settle your tinnitus ear injury claim, do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible.

Selecting the Right Legal Representation for your Personal Injury Claim

It is important for your attorney understands the extent of your Injuries and employs the proper experts to determine the extent of your injuries and the compensation you are owed.

Free Legal Consultation

Our law firm offers free legal consultation to all of our clients. This gives you the opportunity to sit down with one of our attorneys and explain the details of your case and how you believe you got tinnitus in one or both ears. Our lawyers will then listen to you and offer their initial thoughts on your case. They will also answer any questions you may have regarding possible compensation and other legal questions regarding the lawsuit process. This comes to you with no financial obligation on your part. We want you to have all of the necessary information before you decide on legal counsel. We also offer the zero-fee guarantee. This means we will not charge you for our services until we prove your case and get you the compensation you deserve. If we are unable to prove your case, then we will not charge you. Downtown LA Law Group:  We are a full service plaintiff’s law firm. We are compassionate litigators fighting for the rights of our clients.  Our attorneys can help with your case. Contact us today for a free case evaluation or a second opinion. Don’t wait until it’s too late: It is crucial to act quickly before any limitations can lower or extinguish your rightful claim. Call us for a free consultation with one of our brain injury attorneys regarding your claim: (855) 339-8879