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Appellate Division Affirms Dismissal of Occupational Tinnitus Claim

By on January 15, 2021 in Claims, NJ Workers' Comp with 0 Comments

There are not many Appellate Division decisions on occupational hearing loss and tinnitus, which is why the decision is of interest in Donzella v. SG Performance Plastics Corp., A-2408-19T3 (App. Div. January 12, 2021). 

The case involved an employee of SG Performance who worked at its manufacturing warehouse in August 2015.  He and 30 other employees worked around multiple machines.  He wore eyeglasses and gloves but no hearing protection.

One month after beginning his employment, Donzella went to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson and stated that he was very dizzy.  He was given Meclizine for treatment of motion sickness and vertigo.   He never returned to work at SG Performance but did eventually get a job in 2017 at the State of New Jersey Water Commission.

Petitioner saw Dr. Festa, an ENT physician, who noted petitioner’s hearing levels were normal.  Next he saw another ENT, Dr. Samadi, who diagnosed bilateral tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss.  He later added a diagnosis of a deviated nasal septum. 

Petitioner filed a claim petition on November 10, 2015 for his dizziness, vertigo and hearing loss.  He amended the CP nearly two years later to allege occupational exposure to excessive noise from August 3, 2015 through September 30, 2015.  Petitioner was seen by Dr. Gerald West, another ENT, who diagnosed tinnitus due to extreme noise exposure in 2015.  Dr West estimated 25% permanent partial disability for tinnitus but noted that the petitioner’s hearing was within normal limits.

Respondent retained Dr. Steven Freifeld, who observed that petitioner still complained of bilateral hearing loss and sensitivity to noise as of September 2018.  However, his dizziness had abated.  Dr. Freifeld felt that there was no hearing loss and found that his symptoms were not work related.

The experts in this case did not testify but their reports were introduced into evidence in lieu of testimony.  This procedure is known as a trial on reports.  The Judge of Compensation did not find petitioner’s testimony to be credible on certain points.  The judge commented that petitioner described the machines as being loud but admitted that he could hear directions and instructions from his supervisor if the supervisor raised his voice.  Furthermore, the judge observed that neither Dr. Festa nor Dr. Samadi commented on causation between work and his symptoms. Finally the judge said, “there was no data, study or reference of any kind to suggest that this condition was caused by the limited noise exposure.”

In ruling for the respondent, the Judge of Compensation found Dr. Freifeld to be the most credible of all the ENT physicians in this case.  The judge accepted Dr. Freifeld’s opinion that petitioner had vestibular neuronitis, a condition that can happen to someone at any point in time.  The judge found no evidence causally relating this condition to work.

The Appellate Division deferred to the expertise of the Judge of Compensation and affirmed the dismissal of the case because there was ample evidence to support the decision below.  The case underscores that in any occupational hearing loss or tinnitus case, there must be a record established of specific work conditions, such as decibel levels, in tandem with consideration of medical studies or data connecting fairly common conditions like tinnitus or noise sensitivity to the specific work conditions.

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About the Author

About the Author:

John H. Geaney, Esq. is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Capehart Scatchard's Workers' Compensation Group. Mr. Geaney began an email newsletter entitled “Currents in Workers’ Compensation, ADA and FMLA” in 2001 in order to keep clients and readers informed on leading developments in these three areas of law. Since that time he has written over 500 newsletter updates.

Mr. Geaney is the author of Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers. The Manual is distributed by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE). He also authored an ADA and FMLA Manual also distributed by NJICLE. If you are interested in purchasing “Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers,” please contact NJICLE at 732-214-8500 or visit their website at www.njicle.com.

Mr. Geaney represents employers in the defense of workers’ compensation, ADA and FMLA matters. He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers of the American Bar Association. He is one of two firm representatives to the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network.

A graduate of Holy Cross College summa cum laude, Mr. Geaney obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Mr. Geaney was selected to the “New Jersey Super Lawyer” list (2005-2017, 2021 in the area of Workers’ Compensation). Only 5% of attorneys are selected to “Super Lawyers” through a peer nominated process based on independent research and peer evaluation. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. For a description of the “Super Lawyers” selection methodology, please visit https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html

For the years 2022-2024 Mr. Geaney was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list in the practice area of Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers. The attorneys on this list are selected based upon the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. A complete description of The Best Lawyers in America® methodology can be viewed via their website at https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.

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Capehart Scatchard is a full service law firm with offices in Mt. Laurel and Hamilton, New Jersey. The firm represents employers and businesses in a wide variety of areas, including workers’ compensation, civil litigation, labor, environmental, business, estates and governmental affairs.

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