Former soldier gets payout of £350k over hearing loss

Vance Bacon-Sharratt joined the Army in 2008

A former soldier who suffered hearing loss during a firepower demonstration in 2016 has secured a £350,000 payout from the government.

Vance Bacon-Sharratt, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, served in the Army's Mercian Regiment.

While attending the demonstration, an explosion took place, with Mr Bacon-Sharratt feeling an "instant reduction" in his hearing.

He has now won the settlement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

'Extremely difficult'

The 33-year-old, who joined the Army in 2008, left in 2018 as a result of his injuries.

The father-of-two, who now works as a driving instructor, said: "I ended up being diagnosed with hearing loss and tinnitus, which explained the discomfort I was experiencing.

"It was extremely difficult to adapt my life around my diagnosis, which is why I felt like I had no option but to leave the Army, even though it was a career I'd always dreamed of."

The 33-year-old served in the Army's Mercian Regiment

His lawyers, Irwin Mitchell, said the settlement would ensure Mr Bacon-Sharratt would be able to access therapies and support for his hearing loss.

Military injury lawyer Chelsea Towner added: "All employers have a duty of care to protect their employees and through our work, we come across too many people who have sustained injury while serving in the Army.

"Hearing loss and tinnitus are serious health issues, the psychological and physical effects of which should never be downplayed."

An MoD spokesperson said: "The health and wellbeing of our people is always our priority. We carefully assess noise levels and provide hearing protection when asking personnel to undertake duties in noisy environments.

"We have reached an out-of-court settlement with Mr Bacon-Sharratt. It would be inappropriate to comment on the terms of the settlement."