Veteran Firefighter Can't Get Benefits for Cumulative Hearing Loss

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that a veteran firefighter was not entitled to benefits for cumulative hearing loss from industrial exposure to harmful noise levels. Case: Hartman v. St. Bernard Parish Fire Department, No. 2020-CA-0103, 05/20/2020, published. Facts: James Hartman Jr. began working for the St. Bernard Parish Fire Department in May 1990. His job exposed him to high noise levels, and audiograms taken between 2008 and 2017 showed he was developing increasing levels of hearing loss. Procedural history: Hartman filed a workers’ compensation claim in 2017 seeking perm...