How a No-Win No-Fee Hearing Loss Claim Works
If you are considering making a claim for hearing loss or tinnitus caused by your military service, you may have come across the term no-win no-fee. Understanding what this means in practice can help you decide whether to proceed with confidence.
What Is a No-Win No-Fee Agreement?
A no-win no-fee agreement, formally known as a conditional fee agreement, means that your solicitor only charges you if your claim is successful. If the claim does not succeed, you do not pay your solicitor’s fees. This arrangement removes the financial risk of making a claim and means that access to specialist legal advice is not dependent on your ability to pay upfront.
What Happens If Your Claim Succeeds?
If your claim is successful, your legal fees will normally be recovered from the defendant, which in military hearing loss cases is typically the Ministry of Defence. You may also be required to pay a success fee to your solicitor, which is a percentage of the damages awarded. By law, this success fee is capped, so you can be confident that the majority of any compensation awarded will go to you. This will be explained to you clearly at the outset before you agree to proceed.
Your solicitor should always explain what deductions will be made from your compensation before you sign any agreement, so you know what to expect.
What Does the Claim Process Involve?
The process typically begins with an initial assessment of your case, during which your solicitor will ask about your service history, your exposure to noise and the nature and extent of your hearing problems. This is usually free and carries no obligation to proceed.
If there appear to be grounds for a claim, your solicitor will gather evidence to support it. This will usually include a medical assessment of your hearing, your service records and, where possible, details of the noise environments you were exposed to. The solicitor will then put the claim to the Ministry of Defence. Throughout this process, your solicitor should keep you updated on progress and explain any decisions or developments in plain terms, so you are never left wondering where your claim stands.
How Long Does It Take?
Timescales vary depending on the complexity of the claim and whether it is contested. Many claims are settled without going to court, though this can still take several months to over a year. Cases that are contested by the Ministry of Defence, or that involve more complex medical evidence, can take longer to resolve. Your solicitor should be able to give you a realistic indication of the likely timescale once they have assessed your case.
What Information Will You Need to Provide?
To assess whether you have grounds for a claim, your solicitor will typically ask for details of your service history, including dates, roles and the environments you worked in, particularly any exposure to weapons fire, explosions, aircraft or heavy machinery. They will also want to know when you first noticed symptoms such as hearing loss or tinnitus, and whether you reported this at the time or sought treatment since leaving service. You do not need to have all of this information ready before making contact. Specialist solicitors are experienced in helping veterans piece together service records and medical history as part of the claims process.
What If You Are Not Sure You Have a Case?
Many veterans assume that because their hearing difficulties developed gradually, or because they did not report symptoms during service, they will not be able to claim. In practice, gradual onset is common with noise-induced hearing loss and does not automatically rule out a claim. An initial assessment exists precisely to establish whether your circumstances meet the criteria, and there is no cost or commitment involved in finding out.
If you have any concerns about your hearing and believe it may be connected to your time in service, getting an assessment costs nothing and carries no obligation to proceed. Justice4Heroes connects veterans with specialist solicitors who handle military hearing loss and tinnitus claims on a no-win no-fee basis. There is nothing to pay to start the process, and no financial risk if the claim does not succeed. You can get in touch at www.justice4heroes.org, email info@justice4heroes.org or call 0800 776 5622 to find out where you stand.