The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is confronting a staggering potential compensation bill of £50 billion for causing permanent hearing damage to thousands of service personnel over many decades. The revelation came during a High Court hearing where the MoD admitted breaching its duty of care but is now seeking to limit future payouts.
A Legacy of Neglect and Deafness
Legal documents have exposed that military top brass were repeatedly warned about the risks of hearing damage but chose to ignore them. This systemic failure has left an estimated 70,000 veterans with life-altering injuries, with some rendered profoundly deaf and unable to work. Individual settlements have already reached up to £550,000 for a lifetime of lost earnings.
Former Royal Fusilier Stephen Hambridge gave a stark account of the inadequate protection. "On two tours of Afghanistan I was given one pair of foam earplugs," he said. "They soon got dropped in the dirt, and you can't use them with the radios." He only received proper silicone in-ear defenders with radio transmitters after 107 days stationed next to rows of mortars, by which point the damage was irreversible.
The scale of the danger is immense. While a live concert measures around 110 decibels (dB), the mortars used by British forces can reach 185dB—a level where tissue death is certain without protection.
The Staggering Financial Reckoning
During December's High Court proceedings, MoD barrister David Platt KC warned that if half of the affected veterans received just £150,000 each, the cost would soar into the billions. "I made it £50 billion," he stated, cautioning that this colossal sum would come directly from the military budget, devastating frontline defence capabilities.
Mr Justice Garnham responded that the financial impact on the MoD might not be a legitimate legal consideration, stating, "If it turns out... that that is the proper measurement of damages, then que sera."
Simon Ellis of Hugh James solicitors, representing 12,000 claimants, said: "These are people in their 30s who need specialised hearing aids and are medically incapable of the work they're trained for. The MoD was forced to admit it breached its duty of care. Now it's seeking to limit future claims because to pay for all of its wrongdoing would bankrupt it."
A Race Against Time for Justice
The landmark case began in 2021 after the MoD offered veterans paltry lump sums. A deal was agreed last year to compensate those with claims dating back to 1987. A crucial High Court judgement on the extent of negligence and the damages calculation is expected next month.
However, a critical deadline looms. Any claims brought after 31 January will be limited to injuries sustained since 2022—long after the withdrawal from Afghanistan. This move could see future veterans miss out entirely if the MoD succeeds in imposing these time limits.
Shockingly, internal MoD reports from as recent as 2012 admit that rates of hearing loss in the armed forces have not improved significantly since studies dating back to 1965, despite advances in protective technology. The majority of claimants are ex-Army and Royal Marines, with others from the RAF and Royal Navy.
The coming weeks will determine whether tens of thousands of veterans, who sacrificed their hearing in service to the nation, receive the full compensation they deserve, or if the state will seek to limit its liability for a historic failure of care.
