When people in Pennsylvania think about injuries occurring at work they may begin thinking about broken bones, sprains, pulled muscles and other injuries along those lines. However, there are many other types of injuries that people can suffer in the workplace. Some of these injuries are also something that occur over time and do not necessarily occur due to one single accident. Exposure to certain chemicals over time can cause diseases and exposure to loud sounds can lead to hearing loss.
Hearing loss is something that can happen when people work in environments in which there are loud noises occurring throughout the day. So, it is not something people think about all the time because it is something that slowly gets worse over time. However, people may be entitled to workers’ compensation for occupational hearing loss just like other injuries that people suffer in single accidents.
In order to receive compensation though the worker must be able to show that the hearing loss was due to conditions at work and not attributable to other factors outside of work. The length of time one could receive compensation depends on the degree of hearing loss the person suffered.
Compensation for permanent hearing loss due to long-term exposure is determined by multiplying the percentage of hearing loss suffered by 260 weeks. If the hearing loss is caused by a singular event or due to another injury such as a head injury, then the length is determined by multiplying the percentage of hearing loss by sixty weeks if it affects one ear and by 260 weeks if both ears are affected. The worker would then earn two-thirds of the income for that number of weeks determined by the formulas above.
There are many workers in Pennsylvania who work around heavy machinery and other loud noises. Over time exposure to these loud sounds may damage the workers’ hearing and cause hearing loss. If this occurs the workers may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Experienced attorneys understand both the importance of the compensation and complexities of these cases. Consulting one could be beneficial.