We live in a noisy society. On California’s roads, vehicles are souped-up and louder than ever with horns that blare for all kinds of reasons.
Many types of traffic accident-related events threaten your hearing. Airbags are astoundingly loud, as are the screeching sounds of two vehicles colliding at high speeds.
After crashes, car accident victims sometimes experience temporary or permanent hearing loss that disrupts their lives. Although it’s not a common symptom, this type of noise trauma has been noted in medical literature for at least 20 years.
If you suffer hearing loss after a California car accident, you may find it difficult to be taken seriously and receive proper treatment. Accident-related hearing loss is a lesser-known type of accident trauma, but you still deserve proper treatment and accident compensation for it.
Can a Car Accident Cause Hearing Loss?
Temporary or permanent accident-related hearing loss after a car accident is always a possibility. A National Institutes of Health study found that sensorineural hearing loss due to airbag deployment was one of the main causes of accident-related hearing loss.
In plain language, the same airbags that protect your life can harm your hearing. That’s why hearing specialists and safety experts sometimes refer to airbags as a bomb going off in your face.
Head injuries can cause hearing loss, too. The U.S. military has found that hearing loss is associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs, plus other invisible injuries like closed head injuries, memory loss, and balance/dizziness problems.
Another leading cause of accident-related ear trauma is the sudden, piercing noise from the impact of metal on metal during a traffic collision. High-impact car collisions can be as loud as 140 to 160 decibels. For comparison, a lawnmower is about 75 decibels.
A vehicle’s horn can also cause temporary hearing loss after a car accident. Imagine being pinned inside your vehicle while a big rig’s powerful horn blasts into your ears. A large commercial semi-truck’s horn is one of the loudest road sounds at 150 decibels.
Making a Claim for Loss of Hearing From a Car Accident
The good news is that you can claim accident compensation for ear trauma and hearing loss after a car accident. These injuries are increasingly recognized as being worthy of full and fair compensation in California auto accident claims.
Think about how much hearing loss disrupts your life. Without your hearing, you might be unable to work, drive, enjoy hobbies, or care for your young children. At a time when you already have medical bills piling up from the accident, you could lose your job or be out of work for an extended period.
To secure compensation, you’ll need to show:
- Who caused the accident
- That your hearing loss was related to the accident
- Evidence of your costs and losses
Many forms of hearing impacts are usually eligible for compensation. Let your lawyer know if you have any of the following ear-related trauma from a California traffic accident:
- Tinnitus
- Ear pain
- Balance issues or dizziness
- Temporary hearing loss
- Permanent hearing loss
- Ear problems related to a head injury
At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, we take accident-related hearing loss seriously. We’re here to help you with a free hearing loss accident case evaluation that gets your case moving in the right direction.
We Can Help With Your Hearing Loss Injury Claim
Contact the attorney team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We handle many areas of personal injury law, including hearing loss from car accidents. We believe you should be able to focus on recovering from your accident while we handle the legal details. Call 877-380-8852 today for a free case evaluation.
