Tinnitus claims are becoming more common as awareness of this debilitating and distressing illness increases.
If you are suffering from tinnitus yourself, and this has been caused by somebody else such as your employer, then you have three years from the date your illness became clear to make a claim. This is known as your Date of Limitation or your Date of Knowledge.
After three years, you may not be able to bring your claim forward, because under UK law after three years personal injury cases are statute barred or time-barred.
If you meet this criteria, then you could have a strong case for compensation. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people suffering from tinnitus. Although the true cause of tinnitus remains a mystery to medical experts, exposure to loud noises has been linked to the illness. Tinnitus is also a permanent illness and while some treatments are showing good results, there is no cure. It is a lifelong illness unfortunately. As a result, it is only fair that you seek justice if you have tinnitus and it was somebody else’s fault.
How much could I claim for my tinnitus or industrial deafness?
The amount of compensation you can claim or tinnitus depends on the extent of your illness, other medical conditions it has caused and your financial hardships as a result of the illness. Tinnitus is actually classed as a form of industrial deafness in the legal industry, so based on that, here are some examples of tinnitus claim values:
- £3,000 to £7,000 – Mild tinnitus with some hearing loss;
- £8,000 to £12,000 – Moderate tinnitus with occasional hearing loss;
- £13,000 to £30,000 – Series tinnitus with severe hearing loss.
If you have no hearing loss whatsoever but you are suffering from tinnitus, then your claim value will likely be between £1,000 and £2,500. This will increase if you are suffering from another illness caused by your tinnitus, such as insomnia or depression. Your claim value will also increase if you have been left out of pocket by your illness. If you have been left out of pocket, then you can also claim back any financial losses you have sustained.
When thinking about how much you could claim, it is important to remember that each personal injury claim has a different set of circumstances. So while somebody you know may have received a pay-out of £5,000, your own tinnitus claim may be worth less or considerably more. To get a better estimate of how much you could claim for your tinnitus, you should call an accident advice helpline and speak with a trained claims advisor.
