Average Compensation Value Of A Hearing Loss At Work Claim

The State of California has a population of more than 39 million people, making it the largest single state population in the United States. California offers many different types of jobs, but with all the employment opportunities available, there is also a greater chance for workplace injuries. There is an injury that worker’s comp sees across a pretty big section of industry, and it is hearing loss. The extent of the injury varies, but similar to slip and fall accidents, it often occurs, and unlike slip and fall injuries, many of the hearing loss cases lead to long-term disabilities.

There are certain jobs where some injuries happen more frequently than others. They usually have a common associated risk. There are more than a few jobs that have a higher chance of hearing loss, but there doesn’t seem to be a common factor. One question that the Normandie Law Firm receives from its clients often is what the average compensation value of a hearing loss at work claim is going to be. When you learn how the claim value is arrived at, you begin to understand that every worker’s compensation claim is going to be a little unique, regardless of the injury itself. You will also learn that there is no real average for a variety of reasons.

Each case value is determined by several components of the worker’s compensation claim, as well as some aspects of the employee information that pertain directly to the claim value itself. The compensatory part of the claim is what many people want to understand and plan for. The most crucial part of a hearing loss injury is the disability rating. It will have the most impact on the value of the claim. It will be followed by the average weekly salary of the injured employee, the extent of the actual damage that caused the hearing loss that affects future medical treatment, the term of the disability, and the professional impact on the employee. Will they be able to do the same job they had before being injured at work? Can they even work in the same industry?

If you have been hurt at work and have a hearing loss injury as a result, you are going to undergo a pretty significant life change. There will be costs that you never considered that are coming, and things that we take for granted become a challenge. Like most insurance coverages, the worker’s compensation insurance system is going to work to help and serve you as best it can. They are your insurance company in some ways, even though you didn’t pay the premium for the coverage. Sometimes people are somewhat shocked to learn that worker’s compensation seems to work like private insurance in some ways, too.

Unlike private insurance companies that focus on profit, worker’s compensation does not. However, the program will work to limit what they need to pay because it does not have an unlimited budget. If you file a worker’s compensation claim and are trying to get an idea about what its value is going to be, please reach out to the legal team at the Normandie Law Firm. We can help you attempt to estimate the value as best we can. We are highly experienced in worker’s compensation, and our staff is very motivated when it comes to helping our clients get the benefits they need, especially in cases where a client suddenly finds themselves with a disability as significant as hearing loss.

In our first call, we will get your questions answered as quickly as possible. Our focus will be on understanding the information about your accident and your questions. This will help us understand the help you need and how we can best meet that need. If we cannot answer all of your questions in that initial call, we will schedule a free initial consultation with one of our lawyers who can talk to you about the average compensation value of a hearing loss at work claim. During that 1st meeting, our team at the Normandie Law Firm will get the balance of your questions answered, and evaluate your case for benefits and other needs. The most significant focus point for us is understanding your future needs, and this is where our experience comes into play. The Normandie Law Firm has decades of shared knowledge among its legal staff, helping our clients with hearing loss injuries. If you haven’t filed a worker’s compensation claim yet, the next thing we need to tell you about is regarding the time limit to file a claim for any injury that happened at work.

Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements

The Time Limit To File A Worker’s Compensation Claim
The time limit you have for filing a claim is 30 days. It begins on the date of your accident. If the time limit expires before you get your claim filed, the worker’s compensation system is likely to reject your claim. If you are approaching this time limit, please call the Normandie Law Firm as soon as you have time. We can help you get the process started and make certain that you get the coverage and benefits you deserve. There are a couple of exceptions regarding the time limit, and one of them is what is called cumulative trauma. Hearing loss at work is often diagnosed as a result of cumulative trauma. There are times when the loss is from a single event, but if it isn’t, then there is a different time limit. Cumulative trauma injuries have a one-year time limit, and it doesn’t start until the first day of work you missed due to the injury or treatment. All cumulative trauma injuries need to be diagnosed by a medical professional, or they will not be considered.

The Industries And Job Roles That Suffer Hearing Loss Injury
There are a few different types of industry and jobs that report injuries like hearing loss frequently. The job roles will be different across the different industries. Some expose their staff to constant droning of equipment or work product. Others expose people to sudden noise that is damaging and unexpected. The common industries and jobs are:

• Construction of all types with exposure to droning equipment as well as sudden loud noise sources
• Military and Private Military Contractor organizations that train constantly or find themselves working in very loud places with planes, tanks, and weapons fire
• Aviation during ground operations, with the proximity that jobs will have to engines and equipment running constantly at a volume that, without hearing protection, can cause injury
• Mining operations on the surface or underground bring different challenges, such as noise in small spaces and the extremely loud noise from the size and scale of pit mining vehicles as they move product around. Early detonation of explosives used in mining could also be an example of sudden, unplanned noise at a damaging level.

There is always a chance that any job at all can suddenly and unexpectedly experience an event that is damaging to your ears. A plant where ammunition is made is never planning for an explosion. Neither is a fuel depot, nor a ship that experiences a collision.

What Are The Benefits Provided By Worker’s Compensation In California For Hearing Loss Injuries?
Below is a brief list of the benefits provided by the worker’s compensation insurance coverage if you suffer an injury at work. The benefits awarded will impact the value of the claim based on the factors listed above. They include, but are not limited to, the following items.

• A total dollar value not to exceed 1 million dollars per incident for covering medical care costs, including hospitalization and emergency room treatment, services by a hearing specialist, the cost of prescriptions that include over the counter drugs, ongoing testing and evaluation of your hearing, and the costs of any medical devices like hearing aids
• If you cannot return to work until you are recovered, you will get 66% of your regular weekly income for short-term disability
• If you have a long-term disability from injuries like hearing loss, the program offers temporary long-term disability payments until you can return to work, as well as a permanent disability settlement value
• If you cannot do the job you had before being hurt, the program provides some vocational training to support training in a new skill or role, allowing you to continue working in a new job with a new company

The Average Hearing Loss Worker’s Compensation Case Value in California
When it comes to hearing loss injuries and the settlement value of the cases, they vary quite a bit. The settle numbers can run between $10,000 and $100,000 and often times are impacted by things like the duration of settlement if legal representation is needed. Normandie Law Firm believes what impacts the value the greatest is the extent of your injury and the resulting disability rating that leads to a long-term payment. This list of items impacting the claim value includes, but are not limited to:

• The total dollar costs of your healthcare. This includes what may be expected for future care in treating and dealing with your injury, as well
• Your salary impacts the disability payment value, as well as the lost wages because of work that is missed while being treated.
• The disability rating that you now have is because of the accident. Permanent disability will influence the value when coupled with your age and how many years of employment you have remaining

I Want To Sue My Company Because Worker’s Compensation Doesn’t Cover All The Costs
You are permitted to sue your employer in addition to claiming worker’s compensation, but only in some very specific circumstances.  Typically, once you file and collect on a claim, you are generally unable to sue your employer for additional damages after being injured at work. Worker’s compensation is an exclusive remedy for covering any workplace injuries, and that means it’s a no-fault coverage. Liability is assumed, and benefits are approved for the employee.

The specific circumstance that allows you to sue your company is if your employer has committed gross negligence. The legal definition of gross negligence in California is willful misconduct or reckless disregard for the safety of others.

If you believe this occurred, you need to advise your Normandie Law Firm legal team as soon as you become aware of this. If it can be proven, you can sue and win additional damages.

Are There Any Upfront Costs When Hiring The Normandie Law Firm?
No, there are no upfront costs if you need to hire the Normandie Law Firm. If you want to understand the average compensation value of a hearing loss at work claim, Normandie Law Firm can help you. If we represent you in a claim or lawsuit, we will bill you after we get your case settled. If we do not win the case, we will not bill you. That is how confident we are in our ability to help you. Please reach out to the Normandie Law Firm if you need help with your worker’s compensation claim.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Average Worker’s Compensation Value For Hearing Loss Due To Loud Noise At Work
Heatstroke While Working Worker’s Compensation Attorney
Loss of Vision Worker’s Compensation Attorney