A man has received a £40,000 settlement for hearing damage he suffered during 27 years of service in the British Army.
The man served at various barracks in the UK and was deployed to a number of countries. He also carried out and instructed on training exercises. He was exposed to noise from weapons, both during training exercises and whilst on live operations, and from tanks. He would sometimes be exposed to noise for several hours a day.
Ear defenders were introduced in the 1990s. The man wore them during training exercises, but due to practical difficulties they were not used for operational deployments. In 2004 he was issued with a personal radio, in an effort to make communication easier in noisy environments. Although military hearing tests showed that his hearing had diminished, he was still expected to carry out his duties as usual.
After he sought legal advice and commenced a compensation claim, a medical report showed that he suffered from noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. A settlement was reached, reflecting the impact of the damage to his hearing.
