Thousands of veterans accepted payouts that fell far short of what the evidence supported. Here is why that happens, and what you can do about it.
How hearing loss claims work
When you leave the armed forces with noise-induced hearing loss, you have the right to claim compensation. Most claims go through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which operates on a fixed tariff system. You are assessed, placed in a band, and a figure is produced. For many veterans, that is the only route they ever hear about. The average payout under the scheme is around 6,500 pounds.
That figure sounds reasonable until you see what some veterans received through a different route. In 2024, Hugh James Solicitors secured a landmark agreement with the Ministry of Defence known as the Matrix Agreement. Under it, the MOD dropped its standard defences on duty of care, limitation periods, and noise exposure levels. The result was transformative. Veterans represented by Hugh James received an average of over 366,000 pounds.
The same condition. The same service. Vastly different outcomes. The difference was how the claim was handled and whether the solicitor understood what they were doing.
If nobody explained that another route existed, that is not the veteran's failing. That is a failure of advice.
What your solicitor was responsible for
A solicitor handling a military hearing loss claim had a specific duty: to understand the evidence, advise you properly on every available option, and pursue the strongest possible route to compensation. That includes being honest about whether a tariff-based scheme was actually your best option, or whether litigation could produce a significantly better result.
If your solicitor settled quickly, accepted a low offer without challenge, failed to commission independent medical evidence, or never mentioned that a different approach might be available, that falls short of what a competent solicitor should have done. The question is not just whether you received something. It is whether you received what the evidence showed you were entitled to.
This is not about being difficult or ungrateful for what you got. It is about a professional obligation. Your solicitor was paid to act in your best interests. If they did not meet that standard, you have a right to explore what that means for you.
Why many veterans never questioned it
Most veterans who settled did not know the Matrix Agreement existed. They received their settlement, were told it was fair, signed the paperwork, and moved on. Nobody explained that another route might have produced a result fifty times larger. Nobody asked the right questions about what the evidence actually supported.
The fact that you accepted a settlement at the time does not close the door. If the advice that led to that settlement was negligent, you may have a separate claim against the solicitor, entirely distinct from the original hearing loss case. You do not need to have raised a concern at the time. You do not need to have complained. You just need a case that was handled below the standard you were owed.
What happens next
Sold Short offers a free review of military hearing loss claims where veterans believe they may have been undersettled. You tell us what happened. We assess whether the solicitor's conduct fell below the required standard and whether there is a viable claim worth pursuing. If there is, we connect you with a specialist professional negligence solicitor from our panel. They take the case on a no win no fee basis, which means no upfront cost and no financial risk to you if the case does not succeed.
You do not need certainty. You do not need to have a complete file. You just need to start the conversation.
Sold Short offers a free review of military hearing loss claims where veterans believe they were undersettled. No win no fee. No obligation. Get in touch today.
