Hearing Loss Claims
Hearing Loss Claims
Have you suffered hearing damage because of your employer’s negligence? We’re one of the most experienced firms of hearing loss claims solicitors in Belfast. We’ve helped people across Northern Ireland and the UK with industrial hearing loss claims — and we’re ready to help you claim the compensation you deserve.
- Experienced hearing loss solicitors pursuing thousands of claims every year
- The UK’s most successful military hearing loss claim law firm
- Free hearing test clinics in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- “Expertise in noise-induced hearing loss claims” — High Court judge
- Free initial legal advice with no obligation to proceed
Occupational Deafness & Industrial Hearing Loss in Northern Ireland
Around one in seven people in Northern Ireland are deaf or hard of hearing. Some of those will have been born deaf and others will have developed hearing loss due to old age. But for many people, their deafness or hearing loss will be due to the noise they were exposed to while doing their job.
Excessive noise is the most common cause of deafness that wasn’t there from birth. Working in a noisy environment without proper protection is a major factor in hearing loss. If you’re suffering hearing loss after being forced to do your job in those conditions, we can help you claim the compensation that is rightfully yours.
Symptoms of Hearing Loss & Tinnitus
Hearing loss can be disruptive, inconvenient and irritating. Once the damage is done, it is irreversible and lifelong. Industrial hearing loss typically causes the following conditions:
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Noise induced hearing loss is caused when you’re repeatedly exposed to loud noises over time. This damages sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea and eventually leads to hearing loss. Common symptoms of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) include:
- Having trouble hearing people or misunderstanding what people are saying
- Regularly having to ask people to repeat themselves
- Turning the volume up higher than other people need when watching TV or listening to music
- Struggling to have conversations on the phone
- Mixing up sounds like ‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘s’ and confusing similar words as a result
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is when you’re hearing noises that come from inside your body rather than from anything that other people can hear. While the causes of tinnitus are not clear, many cases are accompanied by hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear. Common symptoms of tinnitus include:
- Ringing in the ears
- Buzzing, humming or grinding in the ears
- Whistling or hissing in the ears
- Trouble sleeping because of noises in the ears
- Using the radio, music or other sounds to mask noises in the ears
Causes of Industrial Hearing Loss in Northern Ireland
Working in a noisy environment is a major cause of industrial hearing loss. Northern Ireland is renowned for its heavy industry, shipbuilding and construction — all sectors in which a lot of loud noise is generated. It’s our experience that people working in these environments in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s — and in some cases right into the 2000s — were not given the ear protection they needed.
This has resulted in widespread industrial hearing loss in Northern Ireland among those working in a wide range of roles including:
Military Hearing Loss in Northern Ireland
Military hearing loss is workplace hearing loss suffered by those serving in the armed forces. Service people were exposed to dangerous levels of noise from guns, explosions, pipe ranges and much more.
We have made more successful hearing loss claims against the Ministry of Defence than any other law firm in the UK. For more information on this very specific type of industrial hearing loss please visit our MOD hearing loss page.
Industrial Hearing Loss Claim Process
We’ve made our industrial hearing loss claim process as simple as possible to make it easier for you to get the compensation you deserve. Here’s what to expect:
Step 1: Contact Reid Black
Get in touch for a no-obligation consultation and free initial legal advice on your claim.
Step 2: Gathering Information
If you decide to start a claim, we will begin collecting evidence about the working conditions in which you suffered hearing damage.
Step 3: Medical Assessment
We will then arrange for you to see an independent medical professional who will assess your hearing loss and the likelihood of it getting worse in the future.
Step 4: Compensation Negotiations
Once we understand the full extent of your hearing loss, we will negotiate with your employer or former employer’s insurer to secure the maximum compensation you’re entitled to.
Step 5: Compensation Payout
We will continue to support you and ensure the money that’s rightfully yours reaches you in a timely manner.
Industrial Hearing Loss Claim Time Limits
You usually have three years from the date you became aware that you had suffered hearing loss due to workplace negligence.
There may be some circumstances in which you are allowed more time — because hearing loss is usually a very gradual deterioration — but it’s always better to get in touch as soon as possible to discuss a possible hearing loss claim.
Industrial Hearing Loss Compensation
Noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus is an unwanted and totally avoidable disruption to your life. You are entitled to hearing loss compensation that reflects that.
The amount of hearing loss compensation you receive will depend on the severity of the damage you’ve suffered. The compensation amounts shown below are only estimates — we will arrange a medical assessment to give you a more accurate figure.
Total Hearing Loss Compensation Amounts:
- Total deafness: £200,000 – £300,000
- Total loss of hearing in one ear: £40,000 – £75,000
Partial Hearing Loss & Tinnitus Compensation Amounts:
- Severe: £40,000 – £80,000
- Moderate: £20,000 – £42,000
- Mild or occasional: Up to £20,000
Why Choose Reid Black?
We are one of the leading firms of hearing loss solicitors. Our expertise in handling hearing loss claims has even been noted by a High Court judge, who commented:
“Reid Black Solicitors Limited who have specialised in the conduct of claims for compensation involving police, military and civilian noise exposure since 2006 and who have acted in excess of 5,000 claims advanced by plaintiffs.”
We will use our experience from those and many more hearing loss compensation claims to secure the payout you deserve.
Our Specialist Hearing Loss Claim Solicitors
Our Specialist Hearing Loss Claim Solicitors
18 YEARS EXPERIENCE
- We have acted in more successful military hearing loss claims than anyone else in the United Kingdom.
- We take instructions for people throughout the UK if they have had at least one Northern Ireland tour after June 1987.
- No obligation discussion for any former MOD personnel on any issue they wish to discuss with us.
- You always get 100% of the compensation, we only seek our costs from the other side and take nothing from you.
30 YEARS EXPERIENCE
- Seamus is a leader in the field of personal injury claims and recognised as such by the Chambers Guide.
- He assists for service personnel to make sure they are compensated for injuries in service.
- He can arrange an ENT specialist to assess your hearing and discuss if you have a case to bring on a no obligation basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’re Here To Take Care Of Your Industrial Hearing Loss Claim
Drawing on our vast experience of hearing loss compensation claims, we’ll secure the money you deserve as soon as possible. Let us handle everything for you — you just need to get in touch.
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