Can a Car Accident Affect Your Hearing?

As we grow older, hearing loss becomes more common. This occurs gradually and can be supported with hearing aids. What you might not expect to encounter is hearing loss after a car accident. It turns out that, along with lacerations, fractures, soft tissue damage, head trauma, and spinal cord injuries, a severe crash can also trigger hearing loss.

This is also an injury that can coincide with other injuries, which all lead to rising medical expenses. Worrying about a growing financial burden can impact your recovery. It can also be equally upsetting if the hearing loss caused by a car accident was someone else’s fault. That is when you want to involve Pittman, Roberts & Welsh, PLLC. We are a team of experienced Jackson car accident attorneys who help clients obtain the compensation they need to cover all their medical expenses.

Are you suffering from hearing loss after a car accident? The following information is what you need to know about this type of injury.

Common Causes of Auditory Injuries in a Crash

There are many ways that a hearing loss can occur in a crash. Which of the following would relate to your situation?

Head Trauma

There are many ways to suffer a head injury in a car accident. Even with your seat belt on, the force of impact can have you striking your steering wheel, window, or any other part of the car’s interior. That can cause the following:

• Ruptured eardrum
• Damage to the tiny bones in the middle ear
• Damage to inner ear structures
• Disruption of blood flow to the cochlea

Any one of those injuries can lead to hearing loss.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a common injury in car accidents that causes strain to the neck and back. Whiplash can also lead to hearing loss. A study published by the National Library of Medicine found that 81% of people surveyed with a blunt neck trauma experience some level of hearing impairment.

Airbag Deployment

Airbags go a long way to reducing the risk of serious injury in an accident. Unfortunately, their deployment can cause minor injuries, including lacerations. That rapid deployment also triggers a loud explosion that can reach 160 decibels (dB). When you consider that any sound over 140 dB can cause permanent hearing loss, it is clear that an airplay deployment can also be damaging.

Identifying Symptoms of Post-Accident Hearing Damage

After a serious car accident, there may be a delayed reaction to hearing damage symptoms. However, if you start to experience ringing in your ears after a car crash, it is important to seek medical attention. You should also see a doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Difficulty distinguishing voices from background noise
• Muffled or foggy hearing
• Pain in the ears
• Pressure or fullness in the ears
• Dizziness or vertigo

How Hearing Loss Impacts Your Personal Injury Claim

If you suffer a hearing loss after an accident, it should be part of any personal injury claim you make, but it’s not without challenges. Insurance adjusters often look at hearing loss as an “invisible injury” because you cannot show it off. That is why you need to support your claim with detailed medical records and expert testimony.

The extent of your loss is also an important issue that needs to be factored into your personal injury claim. Is your loss classified as temporary, permanent, partial, or total? That can also impact the scope of your injury. For instance, permanent loss might impair your ability to remain at your current job. Lost wages and future earning capacity need to be part of your final settlement calculation.

Steps to Take If You Experience Hearing Issues

If you experience hearing issues after a car accident, it is crucial to seek medical attention right away. Your doctor might recommend an ENT or an audiologist to help diagnose tinnitus or hearing loss. You should also do the following:

Detail Your Symptoms

It will help to start a journal to detail your symptoms, such as muffled hearing, dizziness, ear pain, or ringing in the ears. You also want to note how hearing loss affects your daily life, sleep patterns, and work.

Maintain Documents

You want to create a single file containing all the medical records related to your hearing loss. These documents should include discharge notes from the doctor, test results, and prescribed treatment.

Why You Need a Jackson Personal Injury Attorney

Dealing with hearing loss after an accident can be frightening. You might not know right away if your hearing loss is temporary or permanent. It might also require examinations and treatment from auditory specialists. In some cases, surgery could be recommended, or you might be prescribed hearing aids. All of those expenses should be part of the compensation you are seeking from the at-fault driver. This is why you need a skilled Jackson personal injury attorney, as you’ll find at Pittman, Roberts & Welsh, PLLC.

We step in to help our clients file their initial claims against the insurance company. If there is resistance from the insurance carrier, we recommend filing a civil lawsuit. That often motivates an insurance company to step up and provide a fair settlement. Bottom line: We are fierce advocates for our attorney and will pursue all viable paths to help achieve a fair settlement.

If you’re dealing with a hearing loss after a car accident, we want to hear from you. Call to set up a free consultation today.