Alma Law

Alma Law is a bespoke veteran owned personal injury law firm.

Our Mission is You

We are a niche personal injury law firm managed by Grant Evatt, a former British Army Commando. Grant is accredited as a specialist by the Law Society of England and Wales and as a Senior Litigator by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

30/05/2026

Public testimonials like this one mean the world to me.

Thank you Nicole. I have been touched by your kind words.

28/05/2026

A former commanding officer from my regiment recently wrote to me following a Falklands reunion.

He spoke about how, after more than 40 years apart, the old camaraderie returned instantly — as though no time had passed at all.

That struck a chord with me.

People sometimes ask why I continue to do this work despite the pressures, the litigation, the procedural battles, and at times the frustration of fighting large institutions on behalf of individual veterans.

The answer is actually very simple:

🎱 Many veterans do not complain.
🎱 Many minimise their injuries.
🎱 Many simply “get on with it”.

But that does not mean they should be ignored.

For me, representing veterans was never about compensation. It is about ensuring that men and women who served their country are listened to properly, advised honestly, and treated fairly and with dignity.

In many ways, it feels less like a career and more like a continuation of the values instilled in us during military service: loyalty, responsibility, and looking after our own.

The Falklands generation — and all those who served beside them — deserve nothing less.

Grant Evatt
Alma Law

(Pic. It’s still reddars in Plymouth)

26/05/2026

Reserve Service and Military NIHL Claims: A Significant Gap in the Matrix

One of the recurring misconceptions in military hearing loss litigation concerns Reserve service after Regular service.

Many veterans understandably assume that all military service is simply added together for the purposes of the MOD hearing loss matrix.

Unfortunately, it is not that straightforward.

Under the current matrix framework, the relevant “last day of service” is tied to Regular service rather than subsequent Reserve service. That can make a very substantial difference to the deduction applied to a claim.

In most cases, a veteran with many additional years of Reserve service will still be treated by reference to the date they left Regular service, which could be decades earlier.

It is, in my view, a genuine lacuna within the agreement and one which affects a significant number of former Regular servicemen who later continued serving in the Reserves.

I believe it ought to be corrected.

GE
Alma Law 26.05.26

21/05/2026

Another day, and another social media advert suggesting veterans are simply “owed” compensation for military hearing loss.

No. That is not how personal injury litigation works.

Military hearing loss claims are not PPI claims or Dieselgate-style consumer actions. The burden remains firmly on the claimant to prove:

• breach of duty;
• actual injury;
• and loss caused by service.

That requires proper analysis of service records, audiograms, noise exposure, causation, civilian employment history and expert medical evidence.

Following the recent High Court judgment in Abbott v MOD, the evidential importance of contemporaneous in-service hearing tests has become even clearer. In many cases, if there is no documented deterioration during service, proving a claim may be extremely difficult.

Veterans deserve honest legal advice, not marketing slogans and “eligibility check” adverts designed simply to generate enquiries.

Be very careful who you decide to instruct for military noise-induced hearing loss claims. Look behind their veneer of respectability and ask whether the outfit concerned genuinely has experience in this highly specialised and complex area of law.

Every case turns on its own facts and evidence. Some claims are well founded. Others face significant evidential difficulties.

That is the reality of litigation.

14/05/2026

Reviews like this mean a great deal to me.

This was a complex, high-value military injury claim involving a Veteran whose life was changed by an avoidable, serious injury. Liability was ultimately admitted and yesterday the claim settled successfully for £590,000 without the need for a trial.

What matters most, however, is not the headline figure. It is knowing that the settlement has provided long-term security and stability for Scott and his family.

Military claims are specialist litigation. They require experience and an understanding of service life and military culture that simply cannot be learned from a textbook nor a fancy marketing campaign.

I am very grateful to Scott for taking the time to leave these words.

UWC 👊🏽

GE - Alma Law

12/05/2026

A particularly satisfying conclusion to a case recently for a good friend from my time in Commando Forces.

A few years ago, after an initial rejection, I persuaded him to appeal his Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pension decisions for hearing loss (NIHL), and I was pleased to act for him pro bono. The tribunal later found overwhelmingly in his favour. Following that, and after a little encouragement from me, he agreed to pursue a civil claim for military noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.

Court proceedings ultimately had to be issued and the matter settled only a week before the first court hearing in Exeter. In truth, this was a case that should never have required litigation, but throughout the claim we stood firm against a series of incremental offers which failed properly to reflect the severity of his injuries and long service.

He served with distinction for over three decades, never sought sympathy, and remains one of the most decent and modest men I know. The claim settled last week for close to £50,000 gross. More importantly, the compensation will help ensure he has access to the hearing support and devices he needs.

He sent me this message:

“Grant, thank you mate, you’ve provided the best possible advice throughout. I am very happy with this result, which wouldn’t have been possible if you hadn’t convinced me to appeal previously.”

Being able to continue serving the men I once served alongside means more to me than anything.

UWC 👊🏽

Grant Evatt - Alma Law

08/05/2026

On VE Day, we remember the generation who secured peace and freedom through extraordinary courage, sacrifice and duty. In uncertain and often divided times, VE Day reminds us that Great Britain is at its strongest when ordinary people stand together with shared purpose, resilience and pride in their country.

Lest we forget.

24/04/2026

High Court Judgment in Military Hearing Loss Claims – A Clear Framework at Last

The High Court has now given its judgment in the military hearing loss test cases.

This is an important step forward.

The Court has confirmed how hearing loss claims should be assessed and how compensation should be calculated. Importantly, it has preferred the claimant’s approach to assessing and measuring hearing loss, rather than the method put forward by the Ministry of Defence.

It has also made clear that claims must be supported by proper evidence, including hearing tests carried out during service.

In simple terms:

✔ Claims supported by evidence are now in a strong position
✖ Speculative claims are unlikely to succeed

We are now reviewing what this means for our clients and will be in touch individually in due course.

If you are already a client of Alma Law, your claim remains active and protected.

20/04/2026

The 18th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines has now been published.

These are the guidelines used by courts and lawyers to assess compensation for pain, suffering and loss of quality of life in injury claims, including hearing loss and tinnitus.

I have compared the updated figures with the previous edition. The position is straightforward: compensation levels for hearing loss and tinnitus have increased by around 8% across the board.

In the hearing loss cases we deal with, the vast majority of offers received are out of sync with current law and accepted valuation principles. Publication of the 18th edition only serves to underline that position and makes those offers increasingly difficult to justify.

This is not about inflating claims. It is about ensuring that compensation reflects both the real impact of these crippling conditions and the guidance the courts themselves rely upon.

We are still awaiting judgment in the hearing loss test cases, which will bring further clarity. For my part, I remain quietly confident that the Claimant’s approach to valuation will be preferred.

We will continue to apply the updated Guidelines in valuing claims and in assessing the reasonableness of offers received.

GE 20.04.26

13/04/2026

A quick update for those following the military hearing loss test cases.

We were expecting the High Court judgment in March. It hasn’t come through yet.

I know that’s frustrating — especially for those of you waiting for answers.

But I want to be clear about one thing: your claims are not on hold.

Work is continuing behind the scenes. I’m still agreeing liability with the MOD and cases are progressing in the usual way. The arguments now are about how claims are valued, not whether they should be paid.

There are delays in the system — getting hold of service records, HMRC information, and medical reports — simply because there are so many veterans now bringing claims and only a limited number of experts to deal with them.

That’s the reality of it.

But your cases are active, protected, and moving forward.

When the judgment lands, it will be important — and I’ll explain exactly what it means in plain English when it does.

Until then, it’s about staying patient and making sure things are done properly.

GE
13.04.26

Address

Residence 2, Royal William Yard
Plymouth
PL13RP

Website

https://www.almalaw.co.uk/

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