Work-related hearing loss progression after exposure ended is not automatically compensable without medical causation proof.

The Insurance Court dismissed the claimant's request for compensation regarding hearing loss that worsened after the cessation of workplace noise exposure. The claimant argued that the initial injury led to progressive deterioration, while the insurer contended that post-exposure decline was unrelated to the original work accident. The court ruled that without specific medical evidence linking the subsequent worsening directly to the initial industrial noise event, the progression does not constitute a compensable work-related injury.