blog home Car Accidents Can a car wreck affect my hearing?

Can a car wreck affect my hearing?

By John Singleton on September 1, 2020

Hearing loss is an often-ignored injury that can occur in a car accident. That’s why it’s important to know that even minor damage to your hearing can develop into a lasting medical condition. For example, what may start as ringing in the ear can lead to vertigo and even deafness if not properly treated.

Sadly, insurance companies often discount hearing loss because it’s “invisible,” and they may even dispute if the victim had good hearing before the accident. This is one of the many reasons you need a skilled attorney at your side if you suffered an injury in a car accident.

How can collisions cause hearing loss?

The sheer force and energy involved in a car accident can cause catastrophic damage, both to the vehicles involved and to our bodies. Unfortunately, our ears and hearing can be damaged in many ways during a wreck.

Even with seatbelts, we can be thrown against the inside of our vehicles, all while the collision of two vehicles can cause a loud, explosive sound. Both aspects of a crash can play a role in hearing damage. On one hand, the loud noise of a collision or an airbag deployment next to your head can damage the internal structure of your ears. This can lead to ringing in your ears, balance issues, and discomfort, even if only one ear is affected.

You can also suffer hearing loss from whiplash because the nerves and muscles of the neck support the ears. When your neck is jerked back and forth in a collision, your ears can also be affected.

Skull fractures are another injury to be aware of. If the bones of your face are broken, they can actually tear into your ear canal and damage hearing. This often leads to deafness, unless a surgeon treats you immediately to repair the damage. Another scenario that can happen is that the small bones in and around the ear can break in a collision, leading to catastrophic hearing loss.

In addition, brain injuries can lead to hearing loss. Even if your airbag deploys, you may strike your head against the windshield, car door, side window, headrest, or ceiling. This is why brain injuries should be diagnosed and treated immediately to protect your overall health, including your hearing.

Finally, if you were not in a car at all, but were out walking or biking and then hit during a crash, you are more likely to suffer a catastrophic injury that leads to hearing loss. That’s because you and your head were even more unprotected.

Should I take my hearing loss seriously following a wreck?

Many people don’t mention hearing loss following a wreck if they are filing an insurance claim. You may think it’s a minor inconvenience compared to the rest of your injuries, or you may be more focused on your other injuries that are causing daily pain. Or you may believe it will be difficult to prove, and so it’s not worth the effort. You are right to assume that insurance companies do not take hearing loss claims seriously, because they see them as trivial expenses.

However, we at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys know that hearing loss can be a major, lasting injury, and if a wreck caused it, you should be fully compensated for past and future medical expenses related to it. When you work with us, we will not minimize any accident-related injury you suffer. Both my partner, Ken Gibson, and I have first-hand experience with car accidents, and we know how difficult it is to fully recover, especially when you are dealing with a dismissive insurance company.

But we also know how important it is for you to recover as much as possible in your claim. Receiving fair and proper compensation after an accident could be the difference between a lifetime of impaired hearing and returning to a normal life. That’s why we will not leave any stone unturned in getting you compensated.

Isn’t it hard to prove hearing loss from a wreck?

Now you may be wondering: “How would I prove my hearing loss is related to the accident? Doesn’t everyone lose their hearing over time?”

The answer is: you actually can prove hearing loss. But you need to have your condition supported by a medical expert who can clearly outline how and why your hearing has worsened after an accident. Your doctor may point to specific brain damage, hearing tests, nerve damage in and around the ear, and any surgeries or treatments you needed to recover your hearing.

You can also support your case with information about your lifestyle and your job. If you live in a relatively quiet neighborhood, work a steady job that’s free of loud noises, and don’t go out of your way to strain your ears by regularly attending loud concerts or using high decibel equipment, then it’s not difficult to say that your hearing was perfectly fine before the accident.

That being said, hearing loss is considered an invisible injury, and insurance companies, judges, and juries can be dismissive. Proving your hearing loss injuries can be difficult if you do not have extensive medical records. The at-fault insurance company will likely argue that the damage is age or lifestyle-related. However, that should not be your concern. It is your attorney’s job to prove your injury in your case, and it is your job to get treatment.

Call a compassionate and tenacious Virginia attorney today

All of this is why, if you have hearing loss after a car accident, you should reach out to us at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys. We are Virginia car accident attorneys, and we have extensive experience providing sound legal advice to our clients throughout Virginia following serious auto accidents. We know how devastating hearing loss can be because we have helped many clients who have experienced it before.

As former U.S. Marines, we do not shy away from a challenge, and we will use our knowledge, skills, and resources to advocate on your behalf in settlement negotiations or during a trial. When we take on a client, we do not rest until we get them the compensation they deserve after an accident. If we sound like the right fit for you, call us at (804) 413-6777 or toll-free at (855) 781-6777 to schedule a free consultation.