Despite the nature of the work, the Ministry of Defence has a duty of care for service personnel.
There was a very important change in the law in 1987 – the repeal of section 10 of Crown Proceedings Act 1947 – to allow injury claims for Ministry of Defence employees to be brought through the Courts. This is in addition to War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims.
Members of the Armed Forces have rights to be kept safe at work. If you can show that the British Army, Royal Air Force or Royal Navy were negligent, a personal injury compensation claim can now be dealt with in the same way a civilian would make a claim against their employer.
All employers, including the Ministry of Defence, now have a responsibility to protect their employees, contractors and visitors. This includes ensuring:
- They provide service personnel and employees with the necessary equipment to complete their jobs. They also need to ensure the equipment is maintained in a safe condition.
- The working environment is kept in a safe and tidy condition. For example, if service personnel and employees work in an office environment, they should be provided with suitable workstations and chairs and the floor and corridors should be clean and free from hazards. In addition doors and gates should not be obstructed.
- All service personnel and employees required to lift heavy objects should receive training to show them how to do this safely.
- All service personnel and employees should also be provided with any safety clothing which they require to complete their jobs, such as goggles, hard hats, ear guards, dust masks, safety gloves, safety boots or high-visibility jackets.
Below are some common types of military injury in which Mark Reynolds Solicitors can give claim advice for possible compensation claims.
- Accidents at Work
- Industrial Illness
- Medical Negligence
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Sports Injuries
- Road Traffic Accidents
- Defective equipment
We strive to obtain the maximum amount of compensation for all of our clients in the shortest possible time frame.
If you are a member of the Armed Forces and have suffered injury or illness as a result of the negligence of your employer, contact Mark Reynolds Solicitors on freephone 0800 002 9577.