Personal Injury Law

Hearing Loss from Traumatic Head Injury

By Steve Lombardi

In 30 years of practicing law in Iowa I've come across my share of clients who suffer traumatic brain injury from the impact of a vehicular accident. Motorcycles seem to do the worst damage but cars, minivans and SUV's do contribute a fair share. Children on bikes or playing the streets add more. Being aware of the effects on people's lives this article about hearing loss following an accident that produces brain damage caught my attention.

If following a head injury you wonder why you can't hear so well perhaps it's because you suffered permanent damage to your peripheral auditory structures, a recognized component of head injury. Simply stated, if you suffered a head injury (or traumatic brain injury – TBI) then it's likely you're going to have suffered hearing loss.

Practice Tip: If you're client has suffered a TBI or head injury have the hearing checked. Tough part is establishing a baseline to establish a foundation or basis for the loss and right to receive compensation. So first things first; in the initial interview watch for the signs of a hearing loss and ask if they've noticed any changes in hearing. Ask the spouse if they are asking for people to repeat themselves. Most patients won't tell the doctor who is treating the head injury; most will chalk it up to just old age.

For more information see The Journal of Trauma, January 2010 issue, volume 68 on pages 13 to 18. Title: Audiological Deficits After Closed Head Injury, Munjal, Sanjay K. PhD; Panda, Naresh K. MS, DNB, FRCS Ed; Pathak, Ashis MCh, MNAMS

Abstract

Background: Damage to the peripheral auditory structures has long been recognized as a common component of head injury. It is estimated that a majority of patients with skull trauma have resultant hearing impairment. Damage to the peripheral and/or central auditory pathways can occur as a primary or secondary injury. Considering the high incidence of hearing loss, it was considered worthwhile to conduct an in-depth investigation by administering a comprehensive audiological test battery on head-injured patients.

Method: The sample population consisted of 290 subjects with closed head injury (study group) and 50 subjects with otologically normal subjects (control group). The subjects in the study group were further divided into mild (n = 150), moderate (n = 100), and severe (n = 40) category on the basis of Glasgow Coma Scale score. The audiological assessment consisted of pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex testing, auditory brain stem response audiometry, and middle latency response audiometry.

Results and Conclusions: It is concluded that there is higher prevalence of hearing impairment in the study group compared with control group. Majority of the patients who incur hearing loss after closed head injury have mild degree of hearing impairment. A significant difference between the study and control group observed on majority of the auditory brain stem response and middle latency response parameters studied.

The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care:

January 2010 - Volume 68 - Issue 1 - pp 13-18

doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181c9f274

Original Article

Audiological Deficits After Closed Head Injury Munjal, Sanjay K. PhD; Panda, Naresh K. MS, DNB, FRCS Ed; Pathak, Ashis MCh, MNAMS

Guidelines for when a CT Scan needs to be used to check for a brain injury in young children following head trauma. The conclusions are sharply different than what I see happening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJLySPsJZ0

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on March 01, 2010 (boomark / email).