injury lawyer

Ear injuries from trauma
Most of us take hearing for granted, but there are many accidents that can seriously impact the ears.  Tissue injuries and infection can cause severe pain and acoustic injuries can lead to short-term or permanent hearing loss.  This can lead to major new challenges in your life, force a change in career and hobbies, and negatively impact your relationships and social life.
What are ear injuries from trauma?
An injury from trauma specifically refers to one that is caused by a harmful event, like an impact to the ear, an extremely loud noise, or rapid pressure change.  This does not include damage that is from genetic abnormalities or a long-term condition.  Ear injuries from trauma include:

• Complete or partial hearing loss
• Cuts, bruising, burns, or swelling to the outer ear and/or ear canal
• Infection in the ear
• Perforated ear drum
• Cauliflower ear

Ear injuries can happen along with other types of injuries, depending on the circumstances.  For example, a blow to the head can cause hearing loss as well as facial cuts, bruises, and a concussion.
Common symptoms of ear injuries include:

• Redness of the outer ear
• Swelling and deformity of the outer ear
• Blood coming out of the ear
• Sharp immediate pain
• Throbbing, chronic pain
• Complete or partial loss of hearing
• Noises or ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
• Infection and fever
• Blistering
• Deformation of the ear (such as cauliflower ear)

What causes ear injuries from trauma?
Ear injuries from trauma can have many causes.  An impact to the head from a fight, a fall, or a car accident can cause damage to the outer ear as well as the ear drum.  Extremely loud sounds such as explosions or gunshots can also cause ear drum damage, particularly when they are close to the head.
What should you do if you have suffered an ear injury?
Ear injuries can be very serious and have a long lasting impact on your quality of life.  The first thing you should do if you think you have injured your ear is get medical help.  A doctor can examine you and do hearing tests to find out what the damage is and set up treatment for your recovery.
Getting medical help is also important legally.  If you think the injury is from a car accident or is otherwise someone else’s fault, the doctor’s opinion will be important if you go ahead with seeking damages.  You will need to show that your ear injury was caused by the accident as well as the extent of the injury and its impact on your activities.
Get legal advice from a personal injury lawyer if you think it was caused by an accident or someone’s careless or reckless behaviour.  If your injury is from a BC traffic accident, schedule a free consultation with a Fraser Valley ICBC claim lawyer in our office (6 offices to serve you).
What if you already had hearing problems, but now it’s worse?
You should go see your doctor.  If your hearing has deteriorated, you need to get medical help and have the change and date of change documented.  If the traumatic event made your condition worse or caused new injuries, you can still seek damages.
How are ear injuries treated?
The treatment of ear injuries depends on the nature of the injury.  Your doctor will set up a treatment plan for you.  This can include:

• Medication to help the pain

• Stitches or reconstruction to prevent a long-term deformity

• Removing obstructions from your ear

• Hearing tests

• Hearing aids

• A plan to learn to read lips

• Psychological counselling to cope with a loss of hearing

• Regular monitoring

Most ear injuries get better over time.  How long this takes depends on the type and severity of the injury, but can range from days to years.  Unfortunately, in some cases the injury never heals completely and hearing loss or deformity becomes a life-long problem.