Grant Evatt is a former British Army Commando. He has specialised in military claims for almost two decades and he is a renowned expert in this complex area.
“I can’t recommend Grant highly enough. His knowledge and experience of military claims and passion for his client’s cause is second to none”
Chris Barnes, Counsel, Exchange Chambers
Military service is a rigorous occupation and training is designed to be tough enough to prepare our men and women to battle an enemy, but not to such a degree that they are exposed to perilous levels of danger. The MOD has a duty, like all conscientious employers, to provide a safe system of work, safe equipment, safe training and well-trained fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Any military personnel; Navy, Army, RAF, Royal Marines and Reserve Forces, who have sustained injury during their service as a result of negligence can bring a personal injury claim for their injuries and financial losses. Even the most moderate of injuries can put your career and all that you have trained so hard for in jeopardy.
Types of Military Claim:
- Training – home and abroad including Salisbury Plain, Sennybridge, Otterburn, Dartmoor, the Middle East, Canada, Belize, Kenya
- Friendly fire and negligent discharges
- Inadequate/faulty equipment and machinery – weapons, vehicles, clothing…
- Sports injuries – mountaineering, sub-aqua, skiing, rugby…
- Climatic injuries such as Non-Freezing and Freezing Cold Injuries
- Hearing loss – especially re-exposure to dangerous levels of noise, despite medical down-grading
- Road traffic accidents
- Harmful medication and exposure to dangerous substances
- Fatalities
- Bullying
- Psychological injuries such as PTSD
- Medical errors
The majority of military claimant’s approach us at a very late stage after being told that they cannot claim for their injuries nor can they make a claim, until they have been discharged. Indeed, many service personnel are still unaware they can bring a claim at all. You can and should be encouraged to do so, after all, you are just as entitled to claim as all other employees and, without some accountability, your accident and injuries will likely be repeated, and we can ill afford to keep injuring our brave men and women, needlessly.
You still have to prove your case and the MOD does not simply roll over and settle. They will put up a fight and you need to know just how to defeat them. You must instruct a specialist; Alma Law.
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme – AFCS
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme works as a no-fault in-service accident insurance policy. It is not compensation. The MOD calls it compensation because they don’t want you to talk to a lawyer. The scheme is administered by Veterans UK. They cannot advise you upon the merits or otherwise of your award because it is they who are making the award.
We can prepare your application and advise you upon whether, or not, the award offered to you is correct and give you your options if an application is refused, or the offer is too low.
You can bring a civil claim and an application for an AFCS award concurrently and we will almost always advise you to do so. If you instruct us to do both, our work and advice on the AFCS application is free. If we are instructed by you on the AFCS only, we may ask you to agree to pay us a fee for our work at the very end.
MD Alma Law
Grant served for 10 years with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery where he was trained as an Arctic and Jungle Warfare specialist; military skiing instructor; artillery surveyor; parachutist; combat driver; combat medic; diver and Platoon Weapons Instructor. He is a top military claims specialist.