Military injury claims – the real figures, the real cost

According to figures recently published by the government, the last seven years has seen 36,000 retired and serving military personnel successfully claim injury compensation. In addition to the successful claims, a further 11,000 were unsuccessful.

The statistics also reveal that since 2005, 16,000 of those 36,000 claims, were made by military personnel for injuries they suffered either on training or on the battlefield – under which together they received a total compensation package of almost £341 million.

The figures confirm that the highest military injury compensation claim payouts were to those who have received the most serious injuries – with individuals receiving lump sums of up to £570,000 to a total of £114 million.

One of the reasons given for the rise,  of course, was the introduction by the Ministry of Defence after 2005, of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. The new scheme is, as I reported in an earlier blog [Click here to read my earlier blog about the AFCS], is hardly generous rise scandalously little compensation for many serious injuries – far, far less than you would receive in a civilian court for an accident at work – but that scheme was a distinct improvement on the scheme. It replaced in 2005 – the much more limited War Pension Scheme. Partly due to more active promotion of the new and improved compensation scheme by the MoD (with increased advertising, it was featured for example, on YouTube) just 165 military personnel made claims for compensation in 2005 – but under the new Armed Forces Compensation Scheme , by 2011-12 that figure had increased to  8,815.

Those who work with the military you in will be aware of the truly horrendous injuries suffered by many serving soldiers – especially in Afghanistan. Whereas in years gone past, many of those with severe injuries simply died on the battlefield, improved modern medical techniques mean that  many more of those with really serious injury, survive – and this includes, for example, an increasing number of multiple amputees.

It seems to me, the providing a fair level of compensation for those who are severely injured whilst serving their country is entirely proper – yet the likes of the Daily Mail have launched yet another smear campaign against the so-called compensation culture, criticising the amount of compensation made payable to military personnel.

Whilst no one would support compensation being awarded in respect of fraudulent military claims for compensation, surely no one, not even the Daily Mail, could expect someone who had suffered severe physical injuries, with the loss of multiple limbs in the course of fighting for their country, to receive no financial assistance at all.

Thinking of making a military injury compensation claim? Our specialists can help

If you have sustained an injury on the battlefield or during a training exercise you could be entitled to compensation. Don’t rely on the MoD’s own Armed Forces compensation scheme – payouts are set well below the level of awards in civilian courts.

For specialist legal advice, simply give a military law solicitor from our team a call on 01722 422300, or

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