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work comp, work injury, work safety /

How Is Hearing Loss Calculated In Minnesota?

work comp, work injury, work safety /

Our ears allow us to hear the world around us, and like any body part, they aren’t immune to accident or injury. If you are exposed to a very loud boom or you work inside a loud factory for a good portion of your life, there’s a chance that you have experienced partial or full hearing loss. If this hearing loss can be tied to your employment, you will be able to collect workers’ compensation payments to assist with medical expenses and partial disability.

In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the hearing loss formula in Minnesota and explain what you should do if you’re considering filing for hearing loss benefits.

Hearing Loss Formula

The formula that Minnesota uses to calculate hearing loss is a bit complex and involves both hearing tests and some mathematics, so instead of trying to explain it piece by piece, we think that it’s easier to link to the Minnesota statute that shows the formula in greater detail. We’ll also cover some of the more basics ideas behind the formula, which include:

  • Complete hearing loss in both ears is considered a 35 percent Permanent Partial Disability rating.
  • Any permanent work-related hearing loss will then give the employee a disability rating of between 0 and 35 percent.
  • Once you understand your disability rating, which again is calculated through a hearing test and the formula provided on the government’s website, you’ll compare your rating to Minnesota’s Impairment Rating Chart to determine how much compensation you’re eligible to receive for PPD benefits.
  • On the chart, you’ll take your rating, put a decimal in front of the whole number, and then multiply that number by the corresponding amount on the chart. For example, if you had a 15 percent PPD rating after suffering some hearing loss, you’d look at the chart and multiply 0.15 by $89,300, which means you’re entitled to receive $13,395 in PPD benefits.
  • If you were to go completely deaf in a workplace accident, you would be able to collect 0.35 times 115,500, or $40,425 through a PPD claim.

It’s also possible that your hearing loss is temporary, and you can certainly file a claim for temporary hearing loss, but oftentimes hearing damage tends to be permanent, so it’s best to consider a PPD claim instead of a Temporary Partial Disability claim.

You can also file for compensation in the event that the workplace event leads to a ringing sensation in your ear. This is a condition known as tinnitus, and it’s a very serious issue that can seriously affect your quality of life. If hearing damage has left you with a permanent ringing sensation in your ears, you absolutely need to file for workers’ compensation.

Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm have been helping clients earn compensation for hearing loss for decades, and we can do the same for you. Whether it was one loud sound that did the damage or prolonged sound exposure over decades at work, you may have a valid compensation claim in Minnesota. To learn more about your legal options, or to talk to an injury lawyer to see if you may have a valid case, reach out to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.

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