Find out how long you have to make a claim for compensation for work related hearing loss and tinnitus following a period of employment in a loud industrial environment such as ship building
Ship yard industrial deafness and tinnitus victim question
I worked in the ship yards in UK from 1973 – 1983, first in Liverpool and later in Southampton. I have hearing loss (loss of tones and ringing in the ears). I have now moved to Perth in Australia.
Is it too late to claim compensation for the damage to my ears and can I claim compensation despite being resident in Australia?
Industrial deafness solicitor response
You have three years from date of knowledge of your hearing damage to start a claim for compensation in the English courts.
The ringing in your ears is a condition known as tinnitus and often goes hand in hand with hearing loss from exposure to loud noise in the working environment.
You can still make a claim for compensation in the UK courts using an English solicitor despite the fact that you are now resident in Australia.
Establishing date of knowledge for industrial deafness
To better establish your date of knowledge of ear damage and hearing loss please could you answer the following questions:
1. Was any hearing protection provided by your former employer?
2. Were you given any warnings about the dangers of noise in the ship yards in either Liverpool or Southampton?
3. How would you describe the noise levels you were exposed to – in both volume and duration throughout the day?
4. When did you first notice symptoms of hearing loss and ringing in your ears / tinnitus?
5. When did you first seek medical help for your hearing problems?
6. When did you first have an audiogram performed on your hearing levels and when was it first suggested the hearing loss could have come from exposure to noise at work?
7. When did you yourself first realise your hearing loss was from exposure to noise at work?
Once I have received your response I will better be able to establish if you are still in time to claim.
