Hearing loss and eye injuries are the most common reasons for seeking worker’s compensation.
Although these injuries are prevalent across many industries, most people don’t know how to seek compensation following an accident.
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As you might know, I am a bestselling wellness author with about 2 million books sold globally.
I write a lot about health and wellness. I’ve shared many tips to protect your vision, hearing and longevity in my book Life Is Long. Plus, I wrote about how the brain works in my groundbreaking online course called The Anxiety Cure.
Because I’m passionate about helping people to protect their health and well being, I put together this article on what to do if you have hearing loss or eye injury due to your work.
First things first: Since each state has different laws and statutes regarding work-related injuries, contacting a local lawyer is the best way forward.
For instance, if you’ve suffered hearing loss or an eye injury resulting from a workplace accident at the Ford factory in Chicago, consider contacting a Chicago eye injury lawyer for more information on your legal options.
Vision and Hearing Accidents in the Workplace
Vision and hearing accidents are widespread, particularly among construction workers and blue-collar employees.
Nearly 15,000 workers suffer hearing loss from a work-related injury yearly, and eye injuries are even more common than hearing accidents.
Workplace accidents that can lead to eye injuries may include:
- Flying or falling debris, dust, glass, or metal
- Air-borne particles of dust, debris, or toxic chemicals
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
- Harmful radiation exposure
- Swinging or thrown objects
- Sparks, burns, or overexposure to light
Additionally, many factors may lead to hearing loss. Some include:
- Exposure to loud noises
- Falling or swinging objects causing eardrum rupture
- Exposure to chemicals
- Tinnitus
- Brain injury
If you’ve experienced any above injuries, you are likely entitled to worker’s compensation.
Requirements for Worker’s Compensation
To determine your eligibility for worker’s compensation, consider who is at fault for your injury.
Although it may appear that your injury was not the result of direct action, your employer or manager failed to take proper precautions.
Most construction companies and manual labor jobs must implement certain safety precautions. These include:
- Providing adequate protection for ears and eyes (goggles, ear muffs, etc.)
- Keeping noise under 85 decibels for eight hours
- Clearing clutter
- Maintaining and ensuring the integrity of structures
- Minimizing exposure to harsh chemicals, light, fire, and other damaging substances
- Training employees properly
Your employer must take numerous other precautions to protect you from vision and auditory injuries.
You are likely entitled to compensation if you suspect your employer has neglected to adopt these safety measures.
How to Get Worker’s Compensation for Hearing Loss or Eye Injury
When you suffer an injury that impacts your hearing or vision, you automatically have the right to file for workers’ compensation.
Worker’s compensation ensures that you receive adequate funds to account for your losses from your employer.
To obtain worker’s compensation, you must prove that you sustained your injury on the job and that your damage occurred as the direct or indirect result of unacceptable conditions at work.
To prove liability, you will have to supply evidence to support your case. Although you can do this independently, a lawyer can help you obtain and organize your evidence to support your claim correctly.
Worker’s compensation typically consists of a fraction of your weekly wages. Most workers can receive compensation for up to 400 weeks following their accident.
Additional Options for Hearing and Vision Injuries in the Workplace
Although worker’s compensation may cover your losses, there are other measures you can take.
For example, you can file a personal injury lawsuit to hold your employer or another third party accountable for your vision or hearing loss.
This may be appropriate if you suspect another individual or company contributed to your injury. Other parties may include:
- Cargo companies
- Materials manufacturers
- Other employees
- Managers
- Supervisors
- Clients
To determine if you can file a personal injury lawsuit, you should speak with a qualified lawyer with experience with your particular type of injury.
What to Do if You’ve Suffering Hearing Loss or Eye Injury on the Job
Once you have identified your injury, you’ll need to gather evidence to support your compensation claim.
Consider:
- Taking pictures of your injuries
- Taking photos of the job site
- Recording your memory of the incident
- Recording facts, data, and additional information related to the incidentAdditionally, you may wish to find an attorney, mainly if your workers’ compensation claim is denied. A qualified lawyer can ensure you obtain more compensation than you otherwise would.
Remember to document everything and exercise patience throughout your case.
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