Car accidents can cause a wide range of injuries – broken bones, disc injuries, whiplash, concussions. Indeed, I frequently see these injuries in my personal injury practice. But a common – and often overlooked – injury is hearing injuries caused by airbags. In my practice, I have seen time and time again how side airbags can cause serious hearing injuries in car accidents.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the medical and scientific reasons behind this.
Research on hearing loss from car accidents and airbags suggests that airbags closest to the ears – side airbags – often cause the most noise induced hearing loss. This makes sense; the closer the ear is to the airbag, the more like the ear will suffer extreme trauma. From audiologist Robert Traynor, from an article titled, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Airbag Deployment:
“The most recent development of side airbags now standard in most vehicles has only enhanced this problem. The deployment of a side airbag generates a mean peak sound pressure of 178 dB. That is more than 20% higher than the level necessary to cause permanent severe hearing loss. Add in the fact that the side airbag deploys closer to the ear and the danger becomes escalated. Over the years, sensorineural hearing loss due to airbag deployment was thought to be rare, but audiologists have known for many years that 140 dB is the threshold of pain and these intensities are dangerous and can cause hearing loss.”
Indeed, scientific research shows that airbag deployment poses a significant risk of permanent hearing loss and tinnitus, particularly when the airbag deploys in close proximity to the ear. Research confirms that when an individual’s head is turned or positioned closer to the airbag upon deployment, the risk of hearing damage increases substantially. This is due to the direct exposure of the ear to the high-pressure sound wave, overwhelming the ear’s natural protective mechanisms. In many car accidents, the left side airbag can impact the left side of the driver’s head, placing the driver’s left ear in the direct path of the deployment noise and pressure wave from the side airbag, making hearing loss and tinnitus not only foreseeable but perhaps inevitable given the documented science.
In my practice, when I represent clients involved in car accidents involving side airbag deployment, they will often note they are experiencing tinnitus and in some cases, hearing loss. Given the number of clients I have helped with these injuries, it comes as no surprise. This seems to be especially true for the elderly, who may be more susceptible to hearing injuries given their age.
If you are experience hearing loss or tinnitus as a result of airbag or side airbag deployment from a car accident, contact us right away. We are uniquely positioned to help with your accident and injuries!