Hearing Loss After a Car Accident in Florida

Hearing loss is often referred to as an “invisible injury” because there are no outward physical signs of hearing loss or impairment that are visible to others. Unfortunately, this can make hearing loss a difficult injury to prove during a Florida car accident claim. You may need the help of an attorney handling car accident cases in Tampa to seek fair financial compensation for crash-related hearing damage.

What Can Cause Hearing Loss in a Car Accident?

A motor vehicle accident in Tampa could result in hearing loss if you suffer an injury to your ear, head or neck. If an object strikes or penetrates your ear in the impact, it could damage its inner, middle or outer parts, including the eardrum. Exposure to loud noises – such as an airbag deploying – or sudden changes in barometric pressure due to rapid vehicle deceleration could also affect hearing.

Head trauma could lead to a traumatic brain injury that damages a victim’s ears and ability to hear. Brain injuries such as concussions can damage the region responsible for hearing or harm the auditory nerves. These hearing issues may be temporary or permanent. A concussion could also result in hearing problems such as new sensitivity to sound, temporary hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Neck injuries in a car accident, including whiplash, can affect hearing through the secondary effects of a spinal cord injury. When the head and neck are suddenly whipped backward and forward due to the forces of a collision, it can damage the soft tissues of the neck and upper spine. This can also result in inner ear damage that causes hearing loss, vertigo, or dizziness.

What to Do if You Experience Hearing Loss After a Car Accident

Do not ignore the signs of injury after an automobile accident in Tampa. Even if a symptom does not seem related to the car accident – such as sensory changes, hearing loss or deafness – it could be connected to injuries you sustained in the crash. See a doctor right away for professional medical attention.

A health care provider can conduct a thorough physical examination, including hearing tests and imaging studies, to confirm hearing loss, determine the cause of the issue and recommend any available treatment options. Request copies of your medical records and bills to support your personal injury claim.

How Can You Prove Hearing Loss After a Car Accident?

Once you recognize that you have hearing loss from a car accident, visit a doctor for an official diagnosis. Medical records can go a long way toward proving an invisible injury such as hearing impairment during a car insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. An audiologist or ENT doctor can provide tests and scans to establish hearing loss, including audiometry, tympanometry, and otoacoustic emissions tests.

Medical records can provide objective data to support your hearing loss claim. It can also prove the extent of your hearing loss or impairment to a judge or jury. In addition, medical bills can provide documentation of the costs of your appointments, treatments, and any future therapy or medical care you might need. This can help you determine a fair settlement value for your car accident claim.

Other proof of hearing loss that may be used during a car accident case include statements from witnesses, such as family members who observed your hearing loss, and testimony from experts. Experts in fields such as audiology or vocational rehabilitation can provide testimony regarding the cause of your hearing loss and its impact on your life and future.

For more information about seeking just compensation for hearing loss after a car accident in Tampa, contact the Tampas car accident lawyers at Vanguard Attorneys for a free consultation.