TL;DR
Infantry soldiers are exposed to small arms fire, machine guns, grenades, mortars, and IEDs — some of the most damaging noise sources in the British Army. Former and serving infantry soldiers can bring a hearing loss claim against the MoD if hearing protection was not provided or enforced during training or operations. Compensation ranges from £8,560 to £133,810 under the [Judicial College Guidelines](https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications/guidelines-for-the-assessment-of-general-damages-in-personal-injury-cases/) (17th Edition, 2024). No minimum service period is required. Claims cover training range noise as well as operational exposure. The MoD settlement scheme deadline is **the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances**.
Infantry soldiers experience some of the most intense and varied noise exposure in the British Army. From mandatory range training as a private to operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the career of an infanteer involves repeated exposure to impulse noise from weapons and explosives. Many infantry veterans have hearing loss or tinnitus they put down to the job. The MoD had a legal duty to prevent that damage where possible, and where it failed, compensation is available.
What noise sources cause hearing damage in the infantry?
Noise-induced hearing loss in infantry soldiers comes from a range of sources encountered throughout training and service:
Small arms. The SA80 A2 (L85A2) service rifle produces a muzzle blast of approximately 160dB at the firer's ear. The L110A3 light machine gun, used extensively by infantry sections, generates similar levels. Firing these weapons without adequate hearing protection — as happened routinely on ranges where only foam ear plugs were provided, and on operations where protection was impractical or not issued — causes cumulative and permanent inner ear damage.
General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). The GPMG is louder than the standard rifle and frequently fired in the sustained fire role on ranges and in training. Gunners, assistant gunners, and nearby section members were all exposed to its impulse noise.
Grenades. The L109A1 hand grenade and its predecessors produce a blast overpressure that causes acute hearing damage to anyone within close proximity without ear protection. Grenade ranges, assault courses, and demolition training all generated this exposure.
Mortars. The L16A2 81mm mortar, standard to infantry support weapons platoons, generates significant muzzle blast at the baseplate position. Mortar fire controllers and those working near the mortar line on exercises and operations sustained repeated exposure.
IEDs and blast events. For veterans of tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, improvised explosive devices presented a different but equally damaging noise hazard. IED blast produces an overpressure wave that causes acoustic trauma alongside any physical blast injury. Veterans who were near IED detonations — even without direct physical injury — frequently developed hearing loss and tinnitus as a result.
Battle runs and combined arms exercises. Infantry training increasingly involves live fire combined with artillery support, armoured vehicles, and helicopter activity. These exercises concentrated multiple noise sources simultaneously and were not always accompanied by appropriate hearing protection.
Was hearing protection always adequate on infantry ranges?
The common experience reported by infantry veterans is that hearing protection was issued but not always enforced, was sometimes inadequate for the noise levels involved, and was regularly removed or not used on operational tours where hearing it was needed to hear commands and detect threats.
The MoD's own guidance acknowledged that standard foam plugs provided insufficient attenuation for some military noise environments. Fitted communication headsets with hearing protection were not universally available. On operational deployments, many soldiers were not issued any hearing protection beyond the standard plugs, and in contact situations, ear protection was frequently not worn.
These failures are central to how MoD duty of care claims are built. The question is not whether the soldier chose not to use protection — it is whether the MoD provided protection that was adequate and whether it enforced its use within the constraints of operational reality.
Who can bring an infantry hearing loss claim?
Any former or serving soldier from an infantry regiment or battalion — riflemen, section commanders, support weapon operators, platoon headquarters, and attached arms who served in an infantry role — can make a claim if they developed hearing loss or tinnitus linked to service noise.
The claim is also available to:
- Soldiers from combat support and combat service support units who trained alongside infantry and were exposed to the same range noise
- Veterans of tours in Afghanistan (2001-2021) and Iraq (2003-2009) where IED exposure was prevalent
- Soldiers who undertook Potential Royal Marines Courses or All Arms Commando Courses where infantry-equivalent noise exposure occurred
There is no minimum service period. A single training package or operational deployment in which hearing protection was inadequate is sufficient to establish the basis of a claim.
How much can an infantry soldier claim?
Compensation is assessed under the Judicial College Guidelines (17th Edition, 2024) based on the severity of your hearing damage.
| Condition | Compensation range |
|---|---|
| Total deafness (no tinnitus) | £110,750 to £133,810 |
| Complete loss in one ear (with complications) | £38,210 to £55,570 |
| Severe NIHL with severe tinnitus | £36,260 to £55,570 |
| Moderate NIHL and tinnitus | £18,180 to £36,260 |
| Mild tinnitus with some NIHL | £15,370 to £18,180 |
| Mild NIHL or mild tinnitus alone | Around £14,300 |
| Slight tinnitus with slight NIHL | £8,890 to £15,370 |
| Slight loss or tinnitus alone | Up to £8,560 |
Special damages — hearing aids, lost earnings, treatment, transport — are calculated on top of these figures. See our compensation amounts page for how the total award is built.
Does my claim cover tinnitus separately from hearing loss?
Yes. Tinnitus — persistent ringing, buzzing, or humming — is extremely common in infantry veterans and is assessed separately from hearing loss. Many infantry soldiers have more troublesome tinnitus than measurable hearing loss. Both conditions are compensated in the same claim if both are present.
Time limits and the MoD settlement scheme
The standard limitation period is three years from your date of knowledge — when you first knew, or should have known, that your hearing damage was significant and linked to service. For many infantry veterans this is not the date of discharge but the later date when they made the connection between their symptoms and service noise.
Courts have discretion under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980 to allow claims outside the standard period, but that discretion is not guaranteed and becomes harder to exercise as more time passes.
The MoD settlement scheme — a High Court-approved framework for resolving hearing claims — has an extended deadline of the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances. Claims submitted before that date are processed within the scheme's agreed structure. After the deadline, claims revert to standard litigation. If you have been thinking about making a claim, acting now rather than waiting is the right approach.
How to start an infantry hearing loss claim
The process starts with a free assessment — no paperwork, no cost, no obligation. You describe your regiment, your service history, the training and operational environments you were exposed to, and your current symptoms. Forces Hearing Claims advises whether you have a viable claim and explains the no win, no fee terms. If the claim does not succeed, you pay nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Does my claim cover operational tours as well as training?+
Yes. Noise exposure during operations — weapons contact, IED blast, mortar fire — counts alongside range training and exercise noise. Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq who experienced blast events have a particularly strong basis for a claim.
I was medically discharged. Does that affect my ability to claim?+
No. A medical discharge for hearing loss or any other condition does not prevent a civil negligence claim against the MoD. The two processes are independent. In some cases, a medical discharge creates additional evidence of the severity of your hearing damage.
Can I claim for hearing loss and PTSD together?+
They are separate claims under different legal frameworks. A military hearing loss claim addresses noise-induced hearing damage. PTSD claims are handled differently. Forces Hearing Claims specialises in hearing loss — we can advise on the hearing element and signpost appropriately for other conditions.