Personal Injury Solicitors

New figures from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) show that one British Servicemen dies every six weeks in a training incident, with 125 serving personnel having died in Armed Forces training exercises in the last 15 years.

The Daily Mail reports that a total of 179 British servicemen lost their lives during the Iraq War between 2003 and 2009.

The figures show that soldiers have lost their lives in training exercises as a result of being shot with live ammunition in mock battles – and have been crushed by armoured vehicles or have drowned during river crossings.

The MoD has also been criticised over deaths of three Territorial Army soldiers during a Special Forces selection march in the Brecon Beacons in July 2013, when the men collapsed and died on one of the hottest days of the year.

The Coroner said that “neglect and delays” contributed to the soldiers collapsing from heat stroke – and an inquest found that if officers had taken “immediate action” when it became clear some of the troops were in trouble, the men could have been saved.

Former commanders have responded to the new figures, however, by saying the death toll “reflected the need to prepare for war with dangerous equipment and hostile conditions”.

The figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Army suffered the most casualties in training, losing 86 personnel – while the Royal Navy (including the Royal Marines) lost 22 and the RAF 17.

The data include deaths by natural causes – and incidents for which the cause of injury or death is not yet known.

Colonel Richard Kemp – who led troops in Afghanistan – said:

”To be effective, training for war has to be challenging and sometimes dangerous. It is a tragic fact that this type of training sometimes costs lives.

“I have no doubt, however, that realistic and demanding military training saves many more lives on the battlefield than it costs on the training ground.”

A spokesman for the MoD said:

“It will always be necessary to train and test our military personnel to the highest possible level, so that they can meet the challenges to national security that we face.

“Achieving this end does involve individuals having to push themselves and take some risk.

“However, as an organisation, we must ensure that this is balanced with the need to ensure these risks are effectively mitigated.”


Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – No win no fee Claims Against MoD

Duncan Lewis personal injury lawyers offer specialist legal advice to members of the Armed Forces who have suffered injury as a result of negligence, on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation against the MoD, including claims relating to:

• Bullying
• Cold weather injuries
• Equipment failures
• Failure in command
• Fatal injuries
• Food poisoning
• Hot weather injuries
• Live combat
• Military accidents
• Negligent discharge
• Psychological injury (PTSD)
• Road traffic accidents
• Sexual abuse
• Training injuries and accidents.

Claims against the MoD can be made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or through the civil courts.

In cases where a loved one has suffered life changing injuries or fatal injuries as a result of MoD negligence, Duncan Lewis offers expert and sympathetic advice on claiming compensation.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Claims Against MoD, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitorson 020 7923 4020.