Car Accidents And Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is often seen as a condition that occurs due to aging or a person being exposed to loud environments for a long time. Indeed, hearing loss can occur due to aging and prolonged exposure to too much noise. However, those two are not the only known causes of hearing loss. Car accidents, for example, lead to hearing loss more often than people think.
After a car accident, people usually check themselves for visible injuries like cuts and bruises. Hearing loss, however, is not a visible injury. In fact, often, people call hearing loss an “invisible injury” because it is usually not easy to notice or prove hearing loss. Below we discuss more on car accidents and hearing loss.
How an Auto Accident Can Cause Hearing Loss
Generally, there are three major ways an auto accident can lead to hearing loss.
- Whiplash
- Head trauma
- Airbag deployment
Whiplash
This is a kind of neck injury that occurs when a person’s neck and head move violently back and forth. This injury can damage the soft tissues and muscles in a person’s neck. Depending on the severity of the injury, whiplash can cause inner ear damage. Whiplash can even lead to temporomandibular (TMJ), which has been known to cause hearing loss.
Head Trauma
Car accidents are known to cause head injuries such as traumatic brain injuries and concussions. Usually, head injuries occur when a person’s head strikes a hard object within the vehicle. For example, you can suffer a head injury after your head strikes the steering wheel. When you strike your head in a car accident, you may sustain other injuries like;
- Ruptured eardrums
- Damage to inner ear tissue
- Disruption of flow to the cochlea
- Severe skull fractures that result in broken bones piercing your ear canal
Airbag Deployment
It is a well-known fact that airbags save people’s lives every day. However, what many don’t know is that airbags can also cost a person their hearing ability. Airbags generate a lot of noise after being deployed. A single exposure to the level of noise that an airbag can generate can cause permanent hearing loss.
Symptoms of Hearing Loss
People who suffer hearing loss due to a car accident may experience, among others, the following symptoms;
- Ringing in the ears
- Pressure or fullness
- Dizziness
- Foggy hearing
- Difficulty distinguishing voices
- Burning in the ears
- Painful itching in the ears
Impact of Hearing Loss on a Victim’s Life
If a person’s job requires them to interact with other people directly and answer phone calls, they may no longer be able to do their job effectively. Therefore, hearing loss can lead to a person losing their job. On the other hand, a person that loses their hearing ability after a car accident may become socially isolated because of feelings of embarrassment.
Legal Help Is Available
If a negligent motorist left you with injuries that affected your hearing ability, you might have the right to compensation. Our Jacksonville personal injury attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm can help you determine if you have a valid case. If you do, we can help you collect the evidence you need to support your claim and obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact The Pendas Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation.
The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Orlando, Tampa, Ocala, Bradenton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, and Daytona Beach areas.