Tinnitus, from Acoustical Trauma at Work, and Workmans Comp

[Peter Dohrn]

I experienced an acoustical trauma at work, have a workmans comp policy opened. Does anybody know what I can expect for help. It's been four months and things seemingly are moving slow. When my ENT sent me to get an MRI, my tinnitus exploded, it is now very severe. Been trying to cope for the last 4 months but not doing well.

What should I expect, what should I be asking for, should I get an attorney?

Feeling at the mercy of the insurance company. Does anyone have experience with this. After you went through it would you have done something different?

 

[Bobby B]

What kind of acoustic trauma ?
Do you have hearing loss ?

Maybe @Alue can add info

 

[Peter Dohrn]

Yes I do have hearing loss, was told it was moderate to severe. The acoustical trauma I experienced at work was with a hand held radio. Working in a noisy area, wearing hearing protection, boss was trying to get ahold of me on the radio. Coworker tapped me on the shoulder and told me to call the boss. I removed my hearing protection, turned my radio to full volume, cupped the speaker and pressed it firmly to ear, after calling him. Multiple people responded to my call and the radio squelched. Hand held radios squelching on normal volume are extremely loud, radios squelching at full volume with hand cupped and pressed to right ear, crushed me. Immediate pain and ringing in right ear. So that's how it started. Since then been to multiple audiologist, and an ENT who suggested I get an MRI, to see if anything else was going on, like tumors, so as to eliminate this as a possible reason for the ringing in my ear. Got the MRI as told, worse decision ever. 40 minutes in imaging machine at over 100 + decibels. Came out of machine with tinnitus immediately exponentially worse, I'm talking off the charts. Nobody could provide me answers, was told this has never happened to them before. I questioned the hearing protection they put on me prior to MRI, small foam ear plugs. Uultimately both ENT and imaging center apologized for the discomfort caused and told me there was nothing they could do, and sent me on my way. It has been 4 months, and I'm now starting to loose it, spend all my time trying to get help, and any optimism I had, is being exchanged for rage.

 

[Bobby B]

Maybe you can try suing them
getting another acoustic trauma (MRI ) in the acute stage is a double punch that makes things worse real fast, I learned it the hard way too

I got my T at a shooting range - very loud, large bore rifles and machine guns with improper hearing protection

It was a lot of fun while doing it, but at the end my T was off the charts and never stopped, but got maybe 50% lower over the years and hearing somewhat came back to some extent

I also was in the military - basic infantry shooting stuff around -, and loved going to loud clubbing events on regular basis for a few decades since the early 1980's

The standard, proven treatment for acute acoustic trauma - up to 3 weeks according to my ENT is prednisone, preferably injected into the ear asap

but for you at this stage - the strategy for now on is to avoid further damage, protecting your ears and hoping for some treatment down the road and of course try to get busy and switch your brain to other stuff...

things can improve over time, ears can heal to some extent but its a very slow process and requires dedication in terms of protection

I had a MRI a few months ago for unrelated issues, and did tons of research on the quietest machines available and drove quite a bit just to get there ...also bought a very quiet car for driving ,switched to a quieter, younger girlfriend and so forth ....everything is just more work living with this ear damages crap, but there will be some cure eventually..