Do you sometimes have trouble hearing normal conversation? Does your spouse or your friends mention that you often don’t seem to understand or hear what they are saying to you correctly? Do you sometimes nod along when someone is talking to you even though you didn’t catch what they said? If true, you could have a hearing loss. If you suffer a loss of your hearing due to a noisy work environment, you can claim workers compensation benefits for your permanent hearing impairment. The benefits you can claim include the cost of hearing aids, as well as compensation payable directly to you for permanent disability. The technology used in Hearing aids has improved exponentially in recent years, and can give you back much of the ability to hear that you have lost, but the cost of these devices has also increased. Under Workers Compensation law, the workers comp insurance carrier is 100% responsible for the cost of your hearing aids as well as the doctor visits and testing necessary to diagnose your problem, including audiogram testing. If your hearing loss is significant and permanent, you will also be entitled to a payment of permanent disability benefits, which can be as much as $67,000.00. If your hearing loss is caused by your work environment, then you are entitled to these benefits by Wisconsin Law. This is true even if the employer provided hearing protection to you and your coworkers. Hearing protection often doesn’t provide 100% prevention of hearing loss.
People who work or have worked in Paper Mills in Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids, Neenah, Rhinelander, and other noisy factory environments often experience permanent loss of hearing. Loud machinery is a common culprit in industrial and factory settings. If you believe you may have a work related hearing loss, Attorney John R. Jokela would be happy to discuss your legal rights with you. It is most common for people to file workers compensation hearing loss claims after retiring from or leaving a job. It doesn’t matter if it has been many years since you have retired or left your job– you can still claim the benefits. It also doesn’t matter if your company has gone out of business or changed ownership. The responsible party is the insurance company. Call John at 715-845-9000 for a free consultation, and he can tell you EXACTLY what you need to do to get started with a hearing loss claim. Attorney Jokela has two decades of experience handling work comp hearing loss claims. Of course you don’t owe John anything unless you hire him, and there are no up front legal fees or costs. Attorney Jokela doesn’t get paid until you do.