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Military Claims24 April 202610 min read

Abbott v Ministry of Defence: Landmark Military Deafness Judgment 2026

On 24 April 2026, Mr Justice Garnham handed down judgment in Abbott and Others v Ministry of Defence — the most significant legal development in military noise-induced hearing loss litigation in years.

Jonathan CloudsdaleMilitary Claims Team

On 24 April 2026, Mr Justice Garnham handed down judgment in Abbott and Others v Ministry of Defence — the eagerly awaited test-case ruling in the Hugh James Military Deafness Litigation.

Key Takeaway: Diagnostic Methodology

The court confirmed that the preferred diagnostic approach is the rM-NIHL method — Professor Moore's revised Military NIHL method. This clarity is significant for every military NIHL claim in the pipeline.

At PDA Law, we represent a significant number of former service personnel in military NIHL claims. We are reviewing the full judgment with care and will be providing individual updates to our clients in due course.

Topics

Military ClaimsHearing LossNIHLVeteransAbbott v MoDTinnitus

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