Hearing loss is commonly attributed to the aging process or an occupation that involves a loud work environment, but it can also be caused by trauma from a car accident. If you suffered hearing loss as a result of a car accident, contact an experienced and skilled personal injury lawyer as you can to arrange for a no-cost and no obligation consultation and case evaluation.
In the context of auto accidents, there are three ways that a driver or passenger might suffer hearing loss. Those are from whiplash, head trauma or deployment of an airbag.
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Whiplash
The Mayo Clinic describes whiplash as a neck injury that’s caused by forceful and rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. The most common cause of whiplash is a rear-end motor vehicle collision. A closed head traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result from a whiplash motion when the brain is slammed back and forth against the front and rear of the skull. The American Association of Family Physicians reports that a whiplash injury may cause objectively measurable hearing impairment. That impairment can be caused by an inner-ear concussion, also known as a labyrinthine concussion that inhibits a victim’s ability to hear sounds at high frequencies.
Head Trauma
Blunt force trauma to the head from an auto accident can also cause hearing loss by damaging the inner ear. The cochlea is part of the inner ear that resembles a snail shell. It picks up sound in the form of vibrations that cause tiny hairlike nerves called stereocilia to move. The stereocilia convert vibrations into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain to be interpreted. Cochlear damage typically involves permanent hearing loss known as sensorineural hearing loss. Once stereocilia are damaged, they don’t grow back. For many people with cochlear damage, hearing aids just don’t work. Cochlear implants might be used by them to relay sounds to the brain that stereocilia previously sensed.
Deployment of Airbags
JAMA Otolaryngology reports that noise levels attendant to airbag deployment can cause irreversible hearing loss for car accident victims. The noise level associated with airbag deployment varies with vehicle type and size, and the locations of the airbags. Side airbags have been shown to be 20% louder than a driver’s airbag. One study in 2007 that was presented at the National Hearing Conservation Conference annual meeting estimated that 17% of all people who are exposed to collision related airbag deployment will suffer some type of an injury to the inner ear. Aside from partial hearing loss, another injury might be described as tinnitus or ringing of the ear which is commonly associated with inner ear damage.
California Hearing Loss Attorney:
You’re justified in your worry and anxiety about your hearing loss after a car accident. With the appropriate medical testimony, your hearing loss can be proved as a direct result of a car accident. Reach out to our California car accident lawyer at Maison Law, and he’ll be pleased to speak with you about your accident and how your hearing loss has adversely affected your family, work and personal relationships. If we’re retained to represent you, all of those factors will be taken into account in building your case. Of course, our objective will be to obtain the maximum compensation that you deserve through a settlement or award. If you notice a hearing loss after a motor vehicle accident, contact us right away for that free consultation and case review.
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