Military Deafness: 10,000 people to sue Ministry of Defence – How to make a claim

More than 10,000 people are said to be suing the Ministry of Defence for military deafness, it has been claimed.

It is thought that around three times as many people have come forward than previously thought – and it could result in the MoD having to payout billions in compensation.

Military deafness claims are made when MoD personnel suffer from hearing loss as a result of their time in service. This could be due to being exposed to high levels of noise in firing exercises and drills, failure to be given proper training or protective equipment, or negligent exposure to excessive noise.

According to a news outlet, the new figures have emerged after a law firm lost a legal battle to streamline the process for these sorts of claims by applying for a Group Litigation Order (GLO). Group Litigation orders are put in place to lump similar cases together to make the process simpler.

In this case, Hugh James Solicitors who are said to be bringing around 3,000 military deafness claims forward made the GLO application, where they would be appointed to deal with all claims for hearing loss against the MOD. However, the court refused the application and stated they didn’t feel the claims were appropriate for a GLO.

It is thought that there have been around 10,000 claims against the MoD – with 3,500 brought forward by Hugh James Solicitors, and another 18 law firms are said to be dealing with at least 7,000 more.

Military deafness can severely impact a person’s life. Some people are left completely deaf, and others may find it difficult to follow conversations or experience tinnitus in their ears as a result of the hearing loss.

Figures show the MoD has paid out £ 95 million in nine years over hearing loss and tinnitus, and the Royal British Legion estimates around 300,000 veterans are living with hearing loss.

In recent years, the MoD was fined more than a million pounds after two Royal Marine veterans won £500,000 and £700,000 payouts.

The MoD said:

“Extensive measures are in place to help prevent hearing loss injuries, including regular hearing tests. The MOD pays compensation when there is a proven legal liability to do so.”

Military Deafness – can I make a claim?

If you have been an employee of the MOD, either present or in the past, and you feel your hearing has been affected, then potentially you could be able to claim. If you have been employed by the MOD anytime after 1998 then you may be able to claim.

We will need to determine the circumstances of your employment with them and whether you will have had sufficient exposure to noise. All of this can be considered and determined in a discussion with you.

We will also need to determine whether your hearing has been affected by the noise you have been exposed to and this can be determined by a simply, quick and painless hearing test.

We would always encourage anyone who has potentially been exposed to noise with their employer to contact us sooner rather than later, as there are certain time bars to bring claims which we also need to consider.

What are the signs of Noise Induced Hearing Loss?

The most common signed of hearing loss is that you are struggling with one the following:

• Difficulty hearing with background noise.
• Struggling to follow conversations.
• Asking people to repeat themselves.
• Missing sounds, such as birdsong.
• Turning up the TV volume.
• Family making comments about your ability to hear.
• You may also be suffering from tinnitus – otherwise described as a ringing or buzzing in your ears – this can be continuous or intermittent but can be a sign that hearing has been damaged by noise.

Natasha Hardy, Solicitor and Head of Industrial Disease at Oakwood Solicitors said:

“We welcome any decision from the Court that ensures these very many cases against the MOD are handled fairly and with regard to the individual circumstances of every case”.

Further reading

Military deafness claims – Oakwood Solicitors

Noise Induced Hearing Loss claims – Oakwood Solicitors

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