If you sustain hearing loss or further hearing loss in the course of your employment you may be entitled to claim the cost of reasonable necessary hearing aids, certain hearing tests and make a lump sum permanent impairment claim.
Hearing Loss Lawyers
Our lawyers practice regularly in worker’s compensation matters and are approved by WIRO (Workers Compensation Independent Review Office) to obtain grants of legal assistance to pay for an injured persons legal fees and medical reports. This includes disputes involving hearing loss. As such, you can be confident that you will receive advice from a lawyer that has an in depth understanding of the worker’s compensation legislation.
Which Employer is Liable?
The liable employer is either:
The employer where you were employed if you gave notice of the injury whilst employed and the employment was of a nature which caused your injury; or
If you were not employed when you gave notice of the injury, the last employer where you were employed where the employment was of a nature which caused your injury.
What should I do if I have suffered work related hearing loss?
If you are concerned about your hearing or think you may have sustained an impairment to your hearing you should consult your General Practitioner, obtain a WorkCover Certificate of Capacity together with a referral to an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon. This should then be provided to the employer and the relevant worker’s compensation insurer. Noting the difficulty in substantiating the liable employer and locating the relevant employer and insurer, it is best to contact an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law who can undertake all the preliminary enquiries for you and lodge your claim.
In addition, you may also qualify for a permanent impairment claim if you are assessed as suffering at least 20.5% binaural hearing loss. In the event you may qualify for such a claim, we are able to seek a grant of assistance from WIRO (Workers COmpensation Independent Review Office) who will in most circumstance agree to fund your legal costs and any disbursements (medical assessments and reports required). This means that you will not have to pay us for any of the legal work undertaken in investigating your claim nor will you have to pay for any of the medical assessment and reports required to support your claim.
The above information is general information only. For a free consultation and specific advice regarding your claim from one of our experts please contact us on Free Call 1800 122 555 or complete our Free Advice Form.