Noise Induced Hearing Loss.
As you might expect from the name, this is damage to ones hearing caused by exposure to excessive noise in the workplace. We will need to prove that there is indeed damage to your hearing (a hearing test will need to be carried out). We will need to be able to show that it was due to your work AND that your employer breached the duty of care owed to you.
All employers have a legal duty to ensure that they do not expose their employees to dangerous noise levels. If you can show that you have suffered hearing loss because your employer has breached that duty of care, then you will be entitled to compensation. We will need to be able to prove this. Examples of sufficient breach might be: failure to isolate very noisy plant or machinery or failure to provide ear defenders.
It will help us raise the chance of success in your claim if you can clearly identify when you first became aware of the problems, when you first sought medical advice and when you first linked the problems to your work. If you have changed employer, please supply us with a complete list of all the people/companies you have worked for where you have been exposed to loud noise or anything has happened that might have contributed to the development of the condition. Also it will help us if you can trace witnesses as to the work conditions, if anyone else has suffered or complained about the conditions before hand.
