Occupational Deafness Claims
Claim compensation for occupational deafness caused by noisy work conditions
If you have worked in a noisy environment for any length of time and find that you have to turn the volume on your television up or cannot follow a conversation where there is background noise you may suffer form occupational deafness (also known as noise induced hearing loss). Our specialist solicitors have represented over 200,000 people in the UK with workplace injuries, including hearing loss.
When considering if you are now or were previously exposed to excessive levels of noise at work the simplest way is consider whether you have/had to raise your voice to carryout a normal conversation 2 metres away from your colleague. If so it is likely that you have been exposed to excessive levels of noise.
The legal implications of occupational deafness
In pursuing a deafness claim, there are many complex issues which need to be considered. Firstly it must be established that an employer has exposed an employee to negligent levels of noise.
Depending on when you worked in excessive levels of noise the core regulations governing noise exposure are The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and The Noise at Work Regulations 1989, and the Factories Acts.
On the 6 April 2006 the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 came into force and the lower exposure action level was reduced to 80dB(A) (previously 85dB(A) under the Noise at Work Regulations) and the upper exposure action level dropped to 85dB(A) (previously 90dB(A) under the Noise at Work Regulations).
At the lower exposure level your employer should provide hearing protection upon request and provide training and information on how to use this correctly. The second action level currently at 85db(A) but previously 90db(A) means that an employer must provide hearing protection, enforce its use when required and supply sufficient training and information upon its use.
Currently it is estimated that over 2.2 million workers are exposed to noise levels above 80dbA including over 1 million exposed to levels above 85dbA and 450,000 at levels above 90dbA. Many of these workers are employed in or associated with the construction, housing, textile or mining industries but there are many other industries which expose or have exposed their employees to excessive levels of noise.
Specialist solicitors for work related hearing loss claims
If you have not been exposed to noise at work beyond 1963 it is unlikely that you will be able to claim due to previous case law as it is generally regarded by the Courts that most UK employers were not aware of the dangers of excessive noise exposure until 1963. If you suspect that you have Industrial Deafness/Noise Induced Hearing Loss or Tinnitus you should talk to us about a claim.
We are one of the UK’s leading firms of Solicitors involved in Occupational Disease claims. Unlike agencies, we have our own in house expertise to help your noise induced hearing loss claim. Our knowledgeable team will establish whether your injury can be linked to your exposure to noise and crucially whether your employer was negligent in allowing it to occur and that they failed in their duty of care.
All initial consultation is free, if you suspect that you are affected by hearing loss, please contact us.
What we'll do for you
More than anything we aim to keep things clear, simple and as straight forward as possible for our clients so there is no need for you to worry at any point about the legal complexities or technicalities of your deafness claim. You will be kept informed through the claims process which put simply looks like this:
- Your free initial consultation gives us a clear understanding of your claim;
- If you have a case we assign our best legal team with expertise to handle your claim;
- The legal team will investigate and build evidence to back up your case;
- We keep in touch with you throughout, so you are always informed;
- Finally, with your approval we arrive at the best settlement possible.
Make contact with a solicitor as soon as you can
It is important to speak to us as soon as possible - time limitation periods apply and investigating your claim is often easier if you begin proceedings quickly. Your initial consultation with us is free and we will tell you then whether or not your case is worth pursuing. If it is, we will carry out our investigation of the free of charge too.
If you would like us to provide you with advice with regard to your potential claim, please complete our brief claim form. We will reply to your enquiry within one working day.
Fill out our quick claim form
If you would like to speak to someone directly about your claim, please call our friendly team on:
0870 024 0558