My left eardrum was perforated because of a sudden loud noise at work and I want to claim ear injury compensation against my employer. Is this possible?
Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor
Editor in Chief
It may be possible to claim ear injury compensation against your employer if it can be proven that your injury was caused by his or her negligence. Employers have a legal duty of care to provide their employees with a safe working environment and if this duty of care is found to have been breached, you should be able to name your employer as the party responsible for your injury.
It is important that you had your ear injury seen to by a medical practitioner immediately following the accident as the risk of potential further damage could be reduced by being treated straight away, and the notes recorded by your doctor in your medical history can be used as evidence in your ear injury compensation claim.
For more support to your ear injury compensation claim, you should have had your injury noted in the business’s Accident Report Book. Any witness statements you managed to obtain would also be beneficial, as would any photographs taken of the scene or images recorded on CCTV, which could indicate the circumstances of your accident and may be used to prove negligence.
You would be well advised to speak with an experienced solicitor about your claim for ear injury compensation at the first practical opportunity. He or she would be able to assess your case to determine its validity and could assist you with the gathering of evidence to support your claim, if you have not already carried out the standard procedures mentioned above. In the event that your employer admits liability and their insurers offer you an early offer of compensation, your solicitor could establish whether or not the figure is a sufficient amount to cover all aspects of your claim.