TL;DR
Submarine service exposes Royal Navy personnel to sustained high-level noise from propulsion machinery, sonar systems, and weapons — in confined spaces that amplify sound and limit escape from exposure. Former and serving submariners can bring a hearing loss claim against the MoD if hearing protection was inadequate during their service. Compensation 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) ranges from £8,560 to £133,810 depending on severity. No minimum service period is required. Claims are taken on a no win, no fee basis. The MoD settlement scheme deadline is **the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances**.
Submarine service is unlike any other environment in the Royal Navy. Crews live and work in a confined metal pressure hull for weeks at a time, surrounded by machinery that generates continuous noise. Unlike surface ships where sailors can move away from noise sources, submariners have no escape from propulsion noise, hydraulic systems, sonar transmissions, and weapons systems. It is one of the most sustained noise exposure environments in the armed forces.
Many submariners leave the Royal Navy with hearing loss or tinnitus they treat as an expected consequence of the job. It is not. The MoD had a legal duty to protect their hearing, and where that duty was not met, compensation is available.
Why submarine service causes hearing damage
Noise-induced hearing loss develops when the inner ear is exposed to sound levels that exceed its ability to recover between exposures. In a submarine, several noise sources combine to create a persistent, high-level acoustic environment with no natural breaks:
Propulsion machinery. Diesel-electric submarines are powered by diesel engines for surface running and battery charging. The engine room generates substantial broadband noise. Nuclear submarines use steam turbines driven by reactor heat — a quieter propulsion system in principle, but one that still generates significant machinery noise below decks. Personnel working in engine rooms and machinery spaces on any submarine class sustained the highest continuous exposures.
Hydraulic and auxiliary systems. The pumps, fans, compressors, and hydraulic actuators that keep a submarine operational generate continuous background noise throughout the boat. This ambient noise is present in every compartment including accommodation spaces, meaning off-watch personnel had limited acoustic rest.
Sonar systems. Active sonar transmissions — and the acoustic environment required to operate and monitor sonar — created occupational noise exposure for sonar operators and those working in adjacent control room positions.
Torpedo and weapons discharge. The firing of torpedoes or the launch of submarine-launched missiles generates significant impulsive noise. Personnel stationed in or near the weapons compartment during an exercise or operational firing were exposed to acute events.
Confined space acoustics. A submarine hull reflects and concentrates sound in a way that open environments do not. Sound that would dissipate in an open space is reflected off steel bulkheads and decks, increasing the effective exposure of everyone onboard.
What noise protection was the MoD required to provide?
The MoD's duty of care required it to:
- Identify the noise hazards specific to submarine service and assess exposure levels by role and compartment
- Provide hearing protection appropriate to the noise environment — including for machinery spaces, sonar positions, and weapons compartments
- Enforce its use during continuous and impulsive noise exposure
- Conduct regular audiometric testing to detect hearing deterioration early
- Adjust personnel's duties if hearing damage was detected
Many submariners report that hearing protection in machinery spaces was available but not consistently enforced, that protection for ambient noise during normal watchkeeping was not provided, and that audiometric testing was inconsistent across boats and bases.
Where any of these obligations went unmet, the MoD bears legal responsibility for the hearing damage that resulted.
Who can make a submariner hearing loss claim?
Any former or serving member of the Royal Navy's Submarine Service — ratings, petty officers, warrant officers, and officers across all branches (engineering, warfare, weapons, medical, logistics) — who developed hearing loss or tinnitus during or following submarine service is potentially eligible.
Claims are not limited to those who worked in the noisiest compartments. The sustained ambient noise environment of submarine service means that even personnel in control room, sonar, and communications roles sustained meaningful exposure. You do not need to have worked in the engine room to have a valid claim.
Both veterans who left the Royal Navy years or decades ago and currently serving submariners can claim. There is no minimum service period. See our eligibility guide for the full criteria.
How much compensation can a submariner receive?
Compensation is assessed under the Judicial College Guidelines (17th Edition, 2024).
| 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 |
These are general damages for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity. Special damages are calculated separately and can include hearing aids (current and future replacements), lost earnings, private treatment, and transport costs. Our compensation amounts page explains how the figures are determined.
Does a War Pension or AFCS award affect a submariner's claim?
No. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pensions Scheme operate independently from civil negligence claims against the MoD. If you received an AFCS tariff award or War Pension for hearing loss during your submarine service, you can still bring a separate civil claim. The two systems measure different things and there is no bar to pursuing both.
Time limits and the MoD settlement scheme
The standard limitation period is three years from your date of knowledge: when you first knew, or reasonably should have known, that your hearing damage was significant and linked to service. This is not the date you left the Royal Navy.
Courts retain discretion under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980 to allow claims outside this period in appropriate circumstances, but the discretion is not guaranteed.
The MoD settlement scheme, which provides a streamlined framework for resolving hearing loss claims, has an extended deadline of the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances. Claims submitted before this date are processed within the scheme. Claims after the deadline revert to standard litigation.
Veterans who have been considering a claim should act now rather than wait. The steps involved in building a good case — service records, audiological assessment, legal preparation — take several months. Starting before mid-2025 gives your solicitor the best chance of submitting a complete claim within the scheme framework.
How to start a submariner hearing loss claim
The process begins with a free assessment. No paperwork, no cost, no commitment. You describe your service history — the boats you served on, the roles you held, and your current symptoms. Forces Hearing Claims advises whether you have a viable claim and, if so, explains the no win, no fee terms. You pay nothing if the claim does not succeed.
Frequently asked questions
Does the claim cover time spent in harbour as well as at sea?+
Yes. Noise exposure in harbour — during engine trials, generator running, maintenance, and normal submarine operations — counts alongside sea time. Submariners in engine rooms and machinery spaces during harbour periods sustained comparable exposure to those at sea.
I served on nuclear submarines. Does radiation exposure affect my hearing claim?+
No. Hearing loss claims are for noise-induced damage only and are entirely separate from any radiation-related health concerns. The two types of claim use different legal frameworks and are assessed independently.
Can I claim if I only did one submarine posting?+
Yes. There is no minimum service period. The noise exposure sustained during even a single submarine deployment may support a claim if hearing protection was inadequate.