Military Claims

Military Hearing Loss Claims

4.2

Read our reviews

If you’d like to learn more about military hearing loss claims, our solicitors are here to help. With extensive experience in winning compensation for NIHL military cases, you’ll be in capable hands.

Get in touch

What is noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)?

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) can be caused by one-time or repeated exposure to noise levels over 85 decibels, such as explosions and the discharge of weapons during military service. NIHL can end military careers and have long-lasting effects in later life, too.

Can I make a military hearing loss claim?

Yes, you can make a military hearing loss claim, with the amount being determined on a case-by-case basis. Between 2012 and 2020, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) paid £72m in compensation for military hearing loss, settling more than 9,000 cases. This is because it has a duty of care to protect your hearing.

If your military career was impacted by hearing loss and you believe negligence was involved, please contact our team of experts for a no-obligation chat. We’re highly experienced at helping armed forces personnel win compensation for military hearing loss claims.

You’ll need a medical diagnosis for hearing loss before one of our solicitors can represent you.

Types of claims

You’ll be supported by highly experienced military claims solicitors with considerable experience of winning compensation for NIHL and tinnitus across all services, including the Army, Navy, RAF and Special Forces.

Examples of the types of claims include:

A delay in referring and/or diagnosing NIHL, resulting in further damage to hearing
Incorrect medical grading of personnel with NIHL
NIHL caused by the negligent discharge of weapons and explosions
Exposure to excessive noise or short bursts of high-frequency and high-intensity sounds during training or exercise without adequate instruction
Inadequate, unsuitable – or a complete lack of – hearing protection (PPE, or personal protective equipment)

We understand the intricacies of the military medical grading system and will use this knowledge to find out if you were treated negligently. Examples would be if you were wrongly deployed or if a deployment made your hearing worse. In either case, you should be entitled to compensation for hearing loss claims involving the military.

Your case for compensation will be built by consulting medical experts about symptoms and exposure. We’ll refer the case to independent ear, nose and throat specialists familiar with hearing loss issues caused during service in the armed forces.

Our team can interpret audiograms and will instruct a specialist doctor to assess your hearing loss. If you’ve suffered hearing damage as a result of negligent protection, please get in touch.

Cold Heat Injuries

Compartment Syndrome Compensation Claims

Defective Equipment

Heat Injuries

Military Brain Injury Claims

Military Limb Loss

Military Road Traffic Accident Claims

Military Spinal Injury

Client Journeys

£750,000 awarded to soldier suffering from permanent hearing loss while on training

Our client, a young soldier, was serving in the British Army and was participating in a training exercise when a ‘six’ bang device was thrown without warning.

He became disorientated and on his return to the unit, a hearing test confirmed that he had sustained permanent left-sided hearing damage. He was medically downgraded, which meant he was unable to get promoted or be deployed on operations. He felt he could not have the career he initially intended as a soldier and resigned.

After several years of litigation, the MoD settled the case out of court for £750,000.

Meet your Military Claims Solicitors

Why Bolt Burdon Kemp?

Ahmed Al-Nahhas

Head of Military Claims

Gaggan Mawi

Partner – Part of the Military Claims Team

Hannah Swarbrick

Partner – Part of the Military Claims Team

Jennifer Ellis

Senior Solicitor – Part of the Military Claims Team

FAQs

What are the signs of NIHL?
NIHL can be caused by an excessive one-time exposure or by short bursts of high-frequency and high-intensity sounds, known as acoustic shocks. Any exposure to noise levels over 85 decibels can be hazardous.

For obvious reasons, this is a particular problem in the military. The longer a person is exposed to a high level of noise, the more likely they are to suffer permanent damage. It’s possible that service personnel will not recognise deterioration in their hearing until after they have returned from exercise or deployment. At that point, symptoms such as the following may become apparent:
- Struggling to hear conversations
- Asking people to repeat themselves
- Turning up the volume on your TV
- Sounds becoming distorted or muffled
- Buzzing in one or both ears that’s more noticeable at night
What should I do if I think I have NIHL?

If you suspect that you’re suffering from NIHL or tinnitus because of work-related exposure, seek urgent medical advice from your Medical Officer (MO).

Your MO ought to carry out routine hearing tests. If NIHL is suspected, a referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist should be made. The ENT specialist will determine the cause of your hearing loss and can rule out natural causes, such as age-related deterioration.

A referral to an ENT specialist is also necessary to determine whether you are fit to deploy, and to consider whether a restriction should be put on future deployment.

If these actions weren’t taken in your case, you may have a claim for negligence.
What are the time limits for military hearing loss claims?

Please be aware that time limits apply when seeking compensation for negligence, whether you are pursuing compensation through the court, or via the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

It is vitally important that you begin any action for compensation as soon as you become aware of any hearing problems. Please contact us now for expert advice on taking your claim forward.
Can I make a claim for tinnitus?

Yes, we can also support those looking to claim compensation for tinnitus, where the duty of care by the MoD has been breached.

According to the NHS, tinnitus is when you hear noises that don’t come from an outside source. You can hear anything from ringing to whooshing and throbbing noises – and it can have a big impact on your quality of life depending on how severe the damage is.

Our Insights

BBK Manifesto 2025: Protect military trainees, criminalise instructor relationships

Sexual relationships between trainees and instructors are never relationships of equals. They involve an inherent imbalance of power, where one party holds authority over the…

By Natasha Mason

BBK Manifesto 2025: Build a fairer and independent service complaints process

Armed Forces complaints procedures need urgent reform to ensure fairness and independence, BBK says in its Manifesto for Injured People. Serving in the Armed Forces…

By Natasha Mason

BBK Manifesto 2025: Update the law on fatal claims

There are few tragedies more devastating than losing someone you love, especially when it could have been prevented. When a death occurs because of negligence,…

By Natasha Mason

BBK Manifesto 2025: Sanction organisations ignoring coroner safety warnings

When coroners issue Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports, they do so to prevent others suffering the same fate. Yet, too often, organisations simply disregard…

By Jennifer Ellis

BBK Manifesto 2025: Demand timely justice for victims and families

Backlogs in criminal, civil and coroners’ courts mean cases that should be resolved within months are dragging on for years. Victims, bereaved families and claimants…

By Jennifer Ellis

BBK Manifesto: Let police investigate Armed Forces sexual offences

Serving in the Armed Forces should never mean being denied justice. Yet when it comes to sexual crimes, service personnel face significantly lower conviction rates…

By Natasha Mason

Read all posts

Charlotte Carey

Incredibly helpful advice from Siobhan. Thank you so much.

...

phil bewley

Professional. Persononable. Expertise delivered with clarity. I left the meeting feeling completely reassured.

...

Milo Apostolou

I approached this law firm when I needed specialised advice for a medical negligence claim , I would give more stars if I could , not only did they take the case on we also won triumphantly, I want to thank the whole team from Olivia , to Hockman , to molly , the reception staff , every member of that firm I spoke to were extremely professional.
Beautiful office,
Highly recommend this firm

...

ke Mono

I can say to this point in case they have been there surporting me. Julia very helpful and friendly. And have organised well to get us over the line. We won our part 36 .so technically the case is over. I did take advice from them but feel in my case. it right decision. I realise they are a business and have to earn money like everyone . Everything they said. They would do .. Case took a long time .but I think this quite normal under our circumstances. I have been awarded compensation and im hoping they deal with swiftly and put the cherry on the cake
It is important they make sure this is done after all the hard work they put in and what I had to go through. Julia allways ask me what I wanted to do. Yes she would give me advice but bottom line It my choice.
I would advice anyone out there who looking for a good solicitors firm to speak to these guys. I'm actually 24 hours away on flight
So that a big time difference but they managed it.
So well done big Thanks
Bolt burden Kemp .special thanks to Julia for she did for me.

...

Scott Gadsby

Great, professional and positive

...

luke parry

They host our Silverlining meetings and are very accommodating!

...

Jack Blair

Spoke with Ahmed today very friendly and knowledgable person, filled me with confidence again after our phone call thank you Bolt Burdon Kemp.

...

Alexander Alexiou

Great staff, friendly and accommodating. Lovely premises

...

Tony Short

Great people in here and very kind and helpful you kno

...

Roger Good

Very good service from staff we deal with

...

keith monaghan

...

Laura Amos

Amazing firm. Ipek, Daria and Elly really heard me and understood my story. It felt like I was really heard for one of the first times ever. They didn’t take my case as they only take on the best! But my goodness this firm is amazing. They really do care. - Laura

...