St. Louis Work-Related Hearing Loss – St. Louis Work-Related Injury Lawyer

Noise exposure has been listed as one of the most common and widely prevalent occupational hazards in the United States.

Noise can be defined as sound that is undesired and interferes with normal hearing. It lacks musical quality and is noticeably unpleasant. Constant and prolonged exposure to noise in the workplace can damage your hearing. Depending on the extent of exposure, a worker may suffer hearing impairment as well.

Workers’ Comp for Noise Exposure Injuries

We often come across cases where employees have suffered hearing loss as a result of exposure to noise at the workplace, but they are unsure whether or not they can get workers compensation benefits. In Missouri, a worker can get workers compensation benefits for noise exposure related injuries.

The noise level is measured in decibels and the higher the decibel level, the louder the noise will be. Noise louder than 85 dB can cause permanent hearing loss. A worker can suffer hearing loss as a result of constant and prolonged exposure to noise or by a loud blast or explosion. According to the statistics available with the United States Department of Labor, close to 30 million people are exposed to harmful noise levels at their workplaces every year. Noise exposure has been listed as one of the most common and widely prevalent occupational hazards in the United States.

Noise exposure can come from a wide range of sources including machines, tools, equipment, and instruments. It can also come from clanging, banging and hammering sounds at the workplace. An occupational or accidental blast at the workplace can also cause hazardous noise exposure.

Occupations with Higher Risk of Noise Exposure

Almost every work environment has some noise level, but there are certain types of jobs in which workers are exposed to dangerous noise levels. The jobs with a higher risk of noise exposure include:

• Agricultural and Farming
• Jobs involving loud machinery or music
• Construction work
• Airline ground maintenance
• Assembly line, manufacturing, and plants
• Any kind of work involving blasting

Injuries Caused by Noise Exposure

Constant noise exposure can cause a variety of hearing related problems. The most common injury caused by noise exposure is damage to hearing. Short term exposure can cause temporary hearing problems such as a stuffy feeling in the ears and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Short term hearing problems usually resolve within a few minutes or hours, but prolonged and constant exposure to harmful noise levels can cause permanent hearing loss.

Workers who are exposed to harmful noise levels can also face other problems apart from hearing loss. These includes:

• Reduced productivity
• Physical and psychological stress
• Heightened risk of workplace accidents
• Interfering with communication and concentration
• Impaired ability to understand speed and communicate

If you think your hearing loss is a result of occupational exposure to noise, you should file a claim for workers compensation benefits.

Seek Aggressive Representation of Your Rights

The work injury lawyers at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann have practiced workers compensation law for over 30 years. We will explain the workers’ compensation process to you and can get involved at any stage.

If you or someone you love have suffered hearing loss due to noise exposure in the workplace, trust our law firm to help. We are located in St. Louis but we handle workers compensation cases throughout the entire state of Missouri. Ensure that your rights are protected, call (314) 361-4300 or complete our Online Case Evaluation Form.