Blog: Tinnitus Awareness Week - Why Doctors Need to Recognise Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a problem that never goes away and when it comes to compensation, claims for noise induced hearing loss alone usually recover much less in damages than if tinnitus is also an identifiable symptom. 

Hearing loss is a progressive deterioration and is, generally, an inevitable part of the ageing process.  Hearing loss, whether noise-induced or simply age-related does not necessarily cause the sufferer any discomfort or nuisance (perhaps in contrast to those around them!)

Tinnitus on the other hand can be extremely intrusive. There is no known cure and sufferers can only hope that symptoms do not become progressively more noticeable with time.  In the worst cases, tinnitus can disturb a sufferer’s sleep patterns and have serious harm to their overall quality of life.

It is hardly surprising that noise induced hearing loss accompanied by tinnitus can recover significantly greater damages. Compensation for tinnitus can be as much as £26,000.

Compensation for Tinnitus

Claimants for noise induced tinnitus can expect to recover compensation for the cost of treatment for tinnitus, including the use of prescribed drug medication such as anti-depressants, electrical stimulation of certain nerves surgery, and the provision and upkeep of other aids such as tinnitus maskers’, sound pillows, and sound/music therapy.

Since the 1950s and up until at least the mid-1980s there have been thousands of workers exposed to excessive levels of noise that has led to the development of tinnitus symptoms. Since the 80’s the introduction of hearing protection became more stringent, however there are many cases when Client’s have been exposed even more recently than that.

Workers for many large nationally renowned companies have been able to claim for tinnitus, including the National Coal Board, British Rail, BICC, Smith & Nephew, Courtaulds, the Ministry of Defence, Plessey-Telecommunications, Telent, BT, Balfour Beatty and GKN.

If you think you may have noise induced hearing loss or tinnitus related symptoms contact your doctor immediately to book a hearing test or audiogram. If you do suffer from tinnitus, you maybe eligible for compensation and should contact a solicitor who knows about making industrial deafness and hearing loss compensation claims.

Colemans-ctts Solicitors have dedicated industrial deafness compensation claim solicitors. We are experts in pursuing no win no fee compensation claims for people who suffer from hearing loss after being exposed to noise at work. If you think you may have a deafness claim speak to an industrial disease solicitor today on 0161 876 2500 for advice or make a claim online.