Gillette Car Accident Hearing Loss Lawyers
Fighting for Car Crash Victims in Campbell County Suffering From Hearing Loss
A high-speed collision can be traumatic -- and loud. Most victims are left dazed after an accident, unsure about what happened. Days later, you may notice that you are difficulties hearing your friends or family. While you may think it is due to your age, hearing loss is a common injury after a car accident.
If you suffered hearing loss in a Gillette car accident, you should not have to deal with the costs on your own. The other driver’s insurance company should provide compensation for your injuries, including hearing loss. But in order to get the money you need to deal with your injuries, you need to work with a skilled attorney at Steven Titus & Associates, P.C. To sit down with Gillette car accident attorney in a free consultation, call us at (307) 257-7800.
How Car Accidents Can Cause Hearing Damage
Anytime vehicles collide, there will be a loud, explosion-like noise. This is more common with larger vehicles, especially with truck accidents, but while this noise is very loud, it is rarely enough to cause hearing damage.
The real cause of hearing damage during car accidents is airbags. While they can prevent catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain damage, broken bones in the face, and neck strain, to deploy an airbag, a small explosion occurs within the car’s dashboard that allows the bag to fill up and protect vehicle occupants. When this occurs, the airbag can produce sounds as high as 178 decibels: anything over 120 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss. A victim may suffer tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, or vertigo, which can impact your ability to maintain your balance. Both of these conditions will impact your day-to-day life. You may develop a sensitivity to high-frequency sounds, experience headaches, have trouble walking, and feel general discomfort.
Beyond the noise of airbags, a broken bone in the jaw or skull can tear into the eardrum, causing permanent hearing loss. Whiplash can also impact your hearing by damaging nerves in the neck and making it harder for the ears to process sound.
At the end of the day, if you suffer hearing loss in a car accident, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries from the other driver’s insurance company if the driver acted negligently. To make sure you get the most out of your claim, it is important to calculate the full costs of your injuries.
The Costs of Hearing Damage
Permanent hearing damage is a serious disability. You may have difficulties talking with your family, working with customers at your job, and enjoying music, live shows, or other hobbies. All of these costs should be accounted for in a Gillette personal injury claim.
Treatment for hearing loss varies depending on your condition. Most people can adjust to hearing aids, but you may also require medication to deal with the pain and reduce the discomfort of the injury. Tinnitus patients have responded well to certain therapies, which should also be covered in a personal injury claim.
Beyond the medical bills of an ear injury, victims can also recover money related to their careers. If an ear injury impacted your ability to work, such as forcing you to change jobs or reduce your normal hours, then that loss should be included in your claim.
Lastly, hearing damage can impact a victim’s personal life. Many victims have trouble socializing and interacting with friends due to their inability to hear, which can lead to depression. It can damage your ability to enjoy certain hobbies and decrease your overall quality of life.
Altogether, your claim for hearing loss can include:
- All medical bills, including past and future treatment
- Lost wages from taking time off work
- Lost earning potential if you had to change jobs or reduce work hours
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
How to Prove You Suffered Hearing Loss in a Collision
Unfortunately, recovering the full costs of an ear injury is difficult on your own. Insurance companies are dismissive of accident claims, often haggling over little details to reduce the amount of money they pay victims. With “invisible injuries” like hearing loss, insurance companies usually deny claims because they argue there is not enough evidence to prove you were injured.
While it is difficult to recover compensation for hearing loss, it is not impossible. A skilled Campbell County attorney at Steven Titus & Associates, P.C., can work closely with you, your family, and your doctors to prove your injuries are genuine and deserving of compensation.
- Medical Records: After any auto accident, you should see a doctor, who can test your hearing and check for damage in the ear canal. With medical records, your attorney can start building a case that your injuries were caused by the car crash.
- Witness Testimony: People in your everyday life can help support your claim. Friends, family, and coworkers can testify that your hearing was normal before the accident and decreased after the collision.
It is important to note that your claim can be limited depending on your day-to-day activities. For example, if you work in a loud industry, such as construction or mining, you may have already suffered hearing loss due to your job. Or your injury could have been caused by age or listening to loud music. In your claim, you will need to show that you specifically suffered hearing loss due to this auto accident.
Speak to a Gillette Car Accident Attorney
No one should be handed a disability because of someone else’s negligence. Hearing loss can affect everything, from your job to your hobbies to your relationships. If another driver caused you hearing loss, then you deserve to have your medical treatment, lost wages, and mental anguish paid for by their insurance company.
If you suffered hearing loss in a car accident that was not your fault, our Gillette personal injury lawyers can fight to get you full compensation for your injuries. Insurance companies rarely pay out fair compensation after a collision. But we are not afraid to stand up to big insurance companies. We can work with your doctors, accident reconstructionists, and other experts to prove your case and recover proper compensation for your injuries. To get started, call Steven Titus & Associates, P.C., at (307) 257-7800 and get a free case evaluation.
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