What Have I Got?

There are three main causes of deafness:

  • Disease of the ear eg. an infection which may cause perforation of the eardrum
  •  The ageing process
  •  Exposure to excessive noise levels

You will normally know if you have had an inner ear infection, as you will probably have been treated by your GP or Hospital.

Your hearing will deteriorate as you get older, but if you have this combined with a disease of the ear, your hearing will deteriorate at a faster rate than with ageing alone. You cannot recover damages for naturally occuring ear diseases or hearing loss that occurs solely through age.

If your hearing loss is due to exposure to noise in your personal life eg, shooting, motorcycling, disco music etc. you cannot recover compensation.

You may notice your hearing is impaired:

  • When in a crowded place you have difficulty following a conversation.
  • When you need to have the television volume higher than is comfortable for others around you.
  • When using the telephone.