MOD Compensation Claims hit record high

Compensation claims brought by service personnel and veterans against the Ministry of Defence (MOD) hit a record high in the year 2022/23.

The total paid out in damages and claimant costs in all common law negligence claims was £160million.  In 2021/22 the total was around £135million whilst in 2020/21 the figure was £124million. The largest increase was for military employers liability claims; £107.1million up from £83.6million on the previous year. 

The statistics were published today and a link is here. 

Claims for Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), an area in which we specialise, exploded.  In the last year, 4,571 new claims were notified to the MOD and in the same period, they paid out in 1,707 claims.  This is three times the number of new NIHL claims in 2020/21 (1522) and almost as much again in settled claims (685).

The reason for this is likely to be two-fold:

1. A heightened awareness of the rights of service personnel and veterans to pursue damages against the MOD for injuries suffered on account of negligence or a breach of statutory duty during their service; and 
2. The MOD enabling a glut of new law firms to pursue legacy NIHL claims on behalf of armed forces veterans i.e. those who have served since May 1987.     

A cursory look at Facebook and Instagram highlights the feeding frenzy with some claims management companies claiming to be winning between £10,000 and £30,000 for a veteran's legacy NIHL claim. That’s good money, until someone warns you that your claim is worth 2 to 3 times this amount.  

Choose your Military Claims lawyer wisely folks and beware of prospectors – see here. How to choose a military claims lawyer

Alma Law has a unique and unrivalled expertise in military claims. We are led by solicitor Grant Evatt, a former Army Commando who is an authority in military claims: "I have represented hundreds of injured troops, veterans and many grieving families in more than twenty years as a solicitor. It is an honour and a privilege to serve them."

We would urge all military personnel and veterans who have sustained injury during their service and are unsure of their legal rights, to contact us for a free, no obligation consultation about pursuing a personal injury claim for your injuries and financial losses. 

22nd February 2024

GE