Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim for Job-Related Hearing Loss in Maryland
Hearing loss is one of the most common yet overlooked workplace injuries, often developing gradually. Many Maryland workers do not realize their hearing damage is job-related until it significantly impacts their daily lives.
Workers’ compensation benefits may be available if you experience partial or total hearing loss due to workplace conditions. Below, our Maryland workers’ compensation attorney explains how hearing loss happens on the job and the factors that influence your rights to benefits.
Common Causes Of Work-Related Hearing Loss In Maryland
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, job-related hearing loss is a serious problem that impacts roughly 12 percent of all workers. Prolonged exposure to loud noises and sudden, high-impact sounds can contribute to permanent damage. Among the most common sources of work-related hearing loss and industries at risk in Maryland include:
- Loud machinery or equipment poses significant threats to workers in factories, construction sites, and manufacturing plants;
- Explosions or sudden loud impacts or repetitive exposure to loud noises overtime are a common cause of hearing loss for firefighters, military personnel, and demolition workers;
- Ongoing exposure to loud work environments, such as for workers at airports, concert venues, and industrial plants;
While workers in construction, industrial manufacturing, transportation, and emergency response face the highest risk of work-related hearing loss, it can happen in any workplace due to consistent loud noise.
Factors That Impact Your Rights To Maryland Workers’ Compensation For Hearing Loss
Under the Maryland Labor and Employment Code, workers’ compensation benefits are available to cover occupational hearing losses. In Maryland, to file a workers’ compensation claim for hearing loss, the following criteria must be met:
- Employment Exposure: The employee must have been exposed to harmful noise levels at work for at least 90 days.
- Audiometric Testing: Hearing loss is assessed through audiometric tests measuring thresholds at frequencies of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 hertz.
- Degree of Hearing Loss: The level of hearing loss, after factoring age correction adjustments as necessary, must meet the threshold to file a claim.
- Filing Deadline: A formal claim must be filed with the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years from when the worker knew or should have known the condition was work-related.
To Get The Benefits You Are Entitled To, Contact Our Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Workers’ compensation benefits in Maryland can be available for workers who suffer hearing loss. However, these are among the most complex and frequently challenged cases. Contact Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP to protect your rights in a claim.
Our Maryland workers’ compensation attorney provides the experienced legal representation you need when seeking compensation for hearing loss. To get the total benefits you are entitled to, request a consultation today.
Sources:
cdc.gov/niosh/noise/surveillance/overall.html
mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatutesAffected?statuteValue=gle&statuteText=Labor%20and%20Employment%20-%20%28gle%29
