Ear Injuries Or Deafness Compensation, Symptoms And Treatment

Ear injuries and deafness occur when the ear canal or the eardrum become damaged.  When the eardrum is torn or punctured, hearing loss may occur.  The good news is deafness occurs in a low percentage of ear injuries.  In addition to helping people hear the ear actually helps us balance.

How does the ear work?

The ear is made up of three parts – the outer ear (the part we see from the outside, or pinna), the middle ear (contains the eardrum & 3 small bones – ossicles), and the inner ear (snail shaped area, cochlea).  The outer ear captures the vibration of sounds and transmits it through the ear canal to the middle ear.  The ossicles in the middle ear amplify the sound vibrations and carry the sound to the inner ear. The sound contracts between tiny hairs that also exist in the inner ear where the sound is amplified.  The hair structures translate large vibrations into electrical nerve impulses in the vestibulocochlear, or auditory nerve.  The impulse is then sent to the brain as sound from the auditory nerve.  The eardrum is needed in the hearing process and since it’s made of thin tissues, it can be easily torn or punctured.

Causes of ear injuries and deafness: 

• An object is placed in the ear and damages the drum or canal
• Falls
• High impact collisions, such as automobile accidents
• Explosion
• Sports Injuries
• Physical fights

The symptoms of ear injuries and deafness can include:

• A slight ringing of the ears
• An ear ache
• Not hearing as well out of one or both ears

Treatment for an ear injury or deafness

If something is lodged in the ear, the first step is to have the object removed.  However, this should be done by a professional.  The next step is to be evaluated by a professional to determine the damage.  Sometimes a hearing aid can be given to help the person hear.  In other cases a cochlear implant is placed in the ear with surgery.  This procedure transforms sound into electronic signals and can allow the person to hear in many cases.  When a hearing aid or the implants will not work for the patient they can take classes in sign language to allow them to communicate without hearing.  The person can also learn to sit close and watch the lips of people as they speak.  Many people can pick up on this skill over time after not being able to hear.  When ear injury and deafness occur in a child, extra care will need to be placed in developmental areas.

Compensation for an ear injury or deafness

Many people are unaware that they can claim compensation for an ear injury, deafness or partial deafness but help is at hand.

In addition to claiming compensation for you or a loved ones suffering, you may also be able to claim for medical expenses, lost wages and any other out of pocket expenses.  For an idea of what you could get see some typical compensation amounts.

Pinstripe make it easy for you to claim compensation. All you need to do is complete the simple online form opposite and the experienced and friendly claims team will handle it from there. It's that easy!