Hearing loss is often caused by aging or prolonged exposure to loud noises, but hearing loss can also be a side effect of a car crash injury. For example, crash victims who suffered whiplash or a head injury could suffer impaired hearing.

The experienced lawyers at TSR Injury Law discuss some of the ways a Minneapolis car crash could cause hearing loss or impairment. We discuss the symptoms of a hearing injury and how to seek compensation for medical care and other damages.

Our attorneys have been helping crash victims recover compensation for more than 25 years and there are no upfront costs to hire our services for your case.

Local Lawyers. Proven Experience. Call us today at (612) TSR-TIME.

How a Car Crash Could Damage Your Hearing

Hearing loss could be a symptom of another injury suffered in a crash, such as:

Head/Brain Injuries

Drivers or other vehicle occupants could hit their heads on something inside the car, such as the steering wheel, dashboard or window. These kinds of blows to the head could result in traumatic brain injuries that could damage your auditory pathways.

Some traumatic brain injuries may be accompanied by a skull fracture that damages the ear canal, leading to hearing impairment. It is also important to note that pieces of your broken skull have the potential to rupture your eardrum.

Other hearing-related side effects of a head or brain injury may include disruption of blood flow to the cochlea and fractures of the bones in the middle ear.

The cochlea is a bone in your inner ear that converts sound waves into electrical impulses. Damaging this bone can result in permanent hearing loss.

Whiplash

You could also suffer whiplash, a painful injury to the soft tissues in your neck caused by your head getting thrown forward and whipped backward during impact. Contrary to what some believe, you do not need to hit your head to suffer a brain injury. If your head gets thrown forward and whipped back hard enough, your brain could slam against your skull, causing a concussion.

While whiplash can result in limited mobility in your neck and pain that radiates down your shoulders and back, you could also suffer damage to your inner ear. Other conditions resulting from whiplash could include temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), a symptom of which is hearing loss or tinnitus.

Airbag Injuries

Sometimes hearing loss is not the result of a blow to the head, but the noise of the airbag being deployed. You may not know, but the sound of an airbag deploying can reach 160 decibels (dB). Anything over 140 dB can cause permanent loss of hearing, even if you only hear the noise once. The sound of two airbags deploying simultaneously can reach 170 dB, well above the threshold for the potential to sustain hearing loss.

What Are the Symptoms of Hearing Loss From a Car Crash?

There are several symptoms that may accompany hearing loss from a Minneapolis car crash, including:

If you experience hearing loss or muffled hearing after a car crash, our Minneapolis auto accident lawyers are here to help you seek compensation for your damage.

How Hearing Impairment Could Affect Your Life

Hearing loss or impairment is much more than a physical injury. For example, victims may need to change careers because they cannot work in the same field as before their injury.

This can have negative psychological consequences, as victims may experience depression and social withdrawal. Withdrawing from social situations can make depression, loneliness and other mental health challenges even worse.

Hearing loss can also affect relationships with family members and the willingness to take part in the same social and recreational activities as before the crash.

Hearing aids and other treatments may help regain hearing loss and improve your quality of life. However, these treatments can be expensive and difficult to afford without compensation from your insurance company and potentially the liable driver’s insurance company.

Proving a Hearing Loss or Tinnitus Claim

If you want to recover compensation for hearing loss from a car crash, you will first need to link your injuries to the crash. You will also need to establish the value of your damages. While bills and receipts can establish the value of your past medical bills, determining the value of other damages is not so easy.

How do you place a value on the emotional and psychological consequences of your injury? How do you determine the value of treatment you have yet to receive?

These are just two of the many reasons why car crash victims should seek help from an experienced attorney. We have been working with crash victims for decades and have a proven track record.

If you have a valid claim, our attorneys can determine the next steps you can take to document your injuries and damages. For example, you will need to see a medical specialist to fully document your hearing loss/impairment, such as an otolaryngologist and/or an audiologist. You may also need to see a neurologist if your hearing loss was caused by a brain injury.

Contact TSR To Discuss Legal Options After a Minneapolis Car Crash

Hearing loss can have a devastating impact on your life, and if it was caused by negligence, you should consider seeking legal help. An experienced lawyer may be able to pursue compensation for the cost of medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Give us a call to learn more about how we may be able to assist you. There is limited time to take legal action, so it is important to reach out to a lawyer right away.

There are no upfront costs with our services and the initial legal consultation is free of charge.

Call TSR Injury Law today: (612) TSR-TIME. We are dedicated to helping accident victims.