Whether you are currently serving in the navy, or you have since left or retired, you may be suffering from an injury that you gained during your service. This could have been during routine military exercises, training or whilst in combat.
Although working in the military and navy has its risks due to the nature of the job, special measures are in place to keep the recruits as safe as possible, but unfortunately, incidents do occur that can result in injury and psychological damage. Regardless of the military activity, you were carrying out, if you have been injured in the navy you may be able to claim navy compensation if the injury wasn’t your fault. This is something we can assist you with as our expert solicitors have years of experience securing navy injury claims. Please read on for more information on how to claim navy and military injury compensation.
Select a section
- What Is A Navy Accident?
- What To Do If You Are Involved In A Navy Accident Causing Injury.
- Making A Navy Accident Claim.
- What Is The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme?
- What Can Be Claimed For After A Navy Accident Causing Injury?
- How Much Compensation Will I Get After A Navy Accident Causing Injury?
- No Win No Fee Navy Accident Claims.
- Why Choose Us As Your Claims Service For A Navy Accident Claim?
- Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim.
What Is A Navy Accident?
Before we look into how to make navy accident claims, let’s first understand what these accidents could look like.
A navy accident is an incident that may occur during military duties within the navy that result in harm coming to any person/s directly or indirectly involved. It could be caused by a huge variety of circumstances that result in injury and mental anguish.
A navy accident could range from someone being injured during routine training and military exercises, to being injured whilst aboard a ship that is involved in a collision or has a mechanical/technical fault causing some sort of failure. It would be impossible to list every single potential problem that could result in a navy accident as there are so many possibilities.
What Kind Of Naval Accidents are Possible?
There are many kinds of naval accidents possible, such as:
- Accidents during routine training: Due to a lack of precautions, there may be slips, trips, or falls, leading to broken bones, sprains, or even spinal injuries.
- Firearm Injuries: Due to improper training or storage of firearms, there may be accidental firing. This could cause burns or even fatal injuries.
- Diving or Parachute Accidents: There could be a fall from a height due to the use of defective equipment or the lack of training. This could cause serious spinal or amputation injuries.
- Electrocution: Any accidents involving electrical equipment could cause electrical burn injuries.
- Submarine Accidents: There could be a collision between submarines or an explosion on board. This could lead to suffocation or drowning.
- Scars and Lacerations: Due to sharp objects on board or collisions, visible scarring may occur.
- Cold Injuries: While training in freezing environments without protective gear, injuries like frostbite, hypothermia or trench foot may be incurred.
- Sinking: The sinking of a ship may lead to hypothermia or death.
Psychological injuries may also accompany the above-mentioned injuries. Have we missed out on your particular injury in the list? Don’t worry, call our advisors now to discuss your case and they will give you more information about navy accident claims.
What To Do If You Are Involved In A Navy Accident Causing Injury.
If you have been involved in a navy accident and have suffered an injury as a result, It is vital to take the necessary steps to gather as much evidence as possible to support your navy accident claims, which may include the following:
- Make notes about the navy accident – Write everything down that you can about the accident whilst it is still fresh in your mind. Don’t miss anything out as it could be important in supporting your claim.
- Visit a medical professional – It is obviously very important to seek medical attention for health reasons after being involved in an accident, but it is also very useful in supporting your case. A report will be made of the type and severity of your injuries, suggested treatment and recovery period. This will be used to determine your navy injury compensation amount.
- Get witness contact details – Having witnesses is a major advantage when making navy accident claims so you want to make sure you have their contact details in order to get statements from them. Witness statements can really help to strengthen your claim.
- Proof of expenses – Keep proof of any expenses you may have incurred as a direct result of the accident. This may be travelling expenses to the hospital, prescription fees, counselling costs, childcare costs and so on. As long as they are due to the accident, you can reclaim the money back within your compensation claim.
- Photos – If you or any of the possible witnesses managed to take any photos before, during or after the incident, depending on the circumstances, then you should obtain and keep a copy as these could be helpful in staking your claim. Also, any photos of injuries sustained due to the navy accident should also be taken. The photos could be attached with your armed forces compensation scheme claim form as back up to the information written on the form.
Making A Navy Accident Claim.
When making navy accident claims, there are two primary routes you can take:
- Claiming through the civil courts. This is possible for military injuries that have happened since 15th May 1987.
- Claiming through a government approved schemes such as the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or the War Pension Scheme (WPS).
It would depend on the circumstances of the accident as to which route you would need to take to make your claim. The following explains the details of each and so outlines their differences:
Claiming through the civil courts
In order to make a successful claim through the civil courts, the following must be shown:
The claimant’s injury or illness has been caused by the negligence of the Ministry Of Defence (MOD).
In normal circumstances, the MOD has to follow the same health and safety rules and regulations as a civilian employer. If it can be proved that a particular health and safety rule has been broken, then negligence is almost always thought to be to blame. In this instance, normal rules for an accident in the workplace claim would apply.
Damages for the pain and suffering due to injury or illness directly caused by the accident can be sought. Also, expenses such as loss of earnings, travel expenses and medical costs can all be taken into account and recovered when claiming compensation.
Compensation for injuries sustained through combat cannot be claimed for through the civil court. There is a clause that prevents the MOD from being sued for injuries gained from being in a theatre of war situation.
Please continue reading for more information on making navy accident claims or get in touch with us today to receive a free consultation.
Claiming Through A Government Compensation Scheme
There are two compensation schemes, one called the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, is for accidents that have occurred after 6th April 2005. The other is the War Pension Scheme and this covers any accidents before 6th April 2005. These schemes provide an alternative route for making a compensation claim.
They are ‘no-fault’ schemes where blame or fault does not need to be proved and so both of these schemes are ideal in such situations where there is not sufficient evidence to prove negligence.
For injuries incurred in combat situations, claims can be made to the AFCS.
Claims that are successful can have compensation payout amounts anywhere from £1,200 up to £570,000 depending on how bad the injury or illness is. However, with these compensation schemes, you cannot claim for other expenses such as loss of earnings or medical costs like you can when going through a civil court.
What Is The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme?
If you’re wondering whether you could seek compensation as part of navy accident claims, you may want to know more about the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
This is a government scheme that was introduced on 6th April 2005 to pay compensation to any men or women that have been injured in the line of duty. A claim for injuries suffered on or after this date may be claimed for by any current or former UK military personnel or reserves.
>It is a no-fault scheme and means that you do not have to prove that the accident that has left you injured or ill, was caused by someone else’s fault. Claiming against the AFCS does not stop you from making a claim against the MOD for negligence if you wanted to.
What Can Be Claimed For After A Navy Accident Causing Injury?
If you have been injured due to a navy accident, you will be entitled to make navy accident claims. The main things you can claim for are as follows:
- Medical expenses – This covers the cost of any medical diagnosis, treatments, counselling and prescription fees as long as they are as a direct result of being involved in an accident causing injury and / or illness.
- General expenses – This refers to the amount of compensation you will receive for your injuries and any pain or suffering you have gone through and are going through.
- Care claim – If you have needed help around the house while you are recovering, then the person helping you can file a care claim.
- Loss of earnings – You may claim for any loss of earnings or future earnings as long as they are due to the accident and the injuries / illness it has caused you.
- Travel expenses – Expenses such as travel to and fro hospital appointments, alternative transport arrangements or even vehicle adaptions can be claimed for.
How Much Compensation Will I Get After A Navy Accident Causing Injury??
One common questions we get asked regarding navy accident claims is ‘how much compensation will I receive?‘. As much as we’d like to give you an exact answer, unfortunately, it is impossible to know, as everyone’s circumstances are different. You may have looked online for armed forces compensation scheme rates or have looked online at an armed forces compensation calculator, but with these, you will only get an estimate, which can be incorrect due to their basic nature.
What we can do though is show you the average compensation payouts received for various injuries or illnesses you may have suffered from while serving in the navy to give you an idea of the potential compensation payout amount you may receive. If you need more information on this, please don’t hesitate to give us a call and we will endeavour to answer any questions you may have regarding navy injury claims. The table below is compiled by using the Judicial College guidelines (JCG), except for the top row. Please use this only for guidance.
| Reason for compensation | Typical compensation amount | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Injuries and Special Damages | Up to £1,000,000+ | There are multiple injuries and financial losses. |
| Severe head injury | £344,150 to £493,000 | Injuries where the person is unresponsive and in a vegetative state due to severe brain damage |
| Moderate head injury | £183,190 to £267,340 | Injuries that cause impaired mental ability, loss of moter function or change in personality |
| Minor head injury | £2,690 to £15,580 | Damage to the head through injury that does not result in brain damage |
| Severe post traumatic stress disorder | £73,050 to £122,850 | In cases where the claimants ability to function in the long term is impaired |
| Moderate post traumatic stress disorder | £28,250 to £73,050 | In cases where the claimants ability to function in the medium term is impaired |
| Minor post traumatic stress disorder | £4,820 to £9,980 | In cases where the claimants ability to function in the short term is impaired |
| Severe psychological damage | £66,920 to £141,240 | The claimant will have obvious signs of problems with the ability to cope with work and life in general. Future vulnerability and family relations will be an issue. Their prognosis will be very poor |
| Moderately severe psychological damage | £23,270 to £66,920 | As with the above but their prognosis will be more positive |
| Moderate psychological damage | £7,150 to £23,270 | Although there will still be problems with the claimants future vulnerability and ability to cope, their prognosis will be good and there should be a marked improvement by the trial |
| Less severe psychological damage | £1,880 to £7,150 | The amount awarded will be dependent upon the length of the period of disability, and the extent to which sleep and daily activities have been affected. |
These are just a few of many, many possible injuries. Don’t worry if yours isn’t on there, call us and we can help you find out what you would expect to receive when you place your claim.
No Win No Fee Navy Accident Claims.
We work on a No Win No Fee basis. What this means is that you will not be expected to pay a penny until your navy injury claim is made successful and your compensation will then easily cover the cost. In the unlikely event that your claim was unsuccessful, you do not need to pay us anything at all.
Claiming against the armed forces can be a long, drawn out process and if you choose to work with a solicitor who is paid by the hour, you could find yourself with some hefty legal fees and no guarantee of compensation being paid. With No Win No Fee you have nothing to lose. As our payment relies on your compensation claim being a success, you can trust we always do our best to ensure the maximum amount of compensation is paid out to you.
Why Choose Us As Your Claims Service For A Navy Accident Claim?
We are a professional, friendly and highly experienced injury claims firm that treats all of our clients with the utmost importance. Our team strives to get the best compensation payouts that our clients deserve in the most efficient and smoothest manner possible. We understand that you are having a rough time at the moment and will treat you with care and consideration and be considerate at all times.
We have been in the industry for many years and have had many extremely successful compensation claims with maximum payouts, and with our expert solicitors help and guidance, your claim will be a success too. Our reputation speaks for itself.
Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim.
Are you interested in beginning your navy accident claims?
navy accident claims
If you have been involved in a navy accident and want to make a claim or have any questions, all you need to do is call us on 0800 073 8804. Your call will be answered by a member of our team who will be more than happy to help you in any way that they can. They can talk you through the claiming process so you are fully aware of what’s involved so there are no surprises.
We are a friendly and professional team and will treat you with respect and be empathetic to your situation. You can relax in the knowledge that we will fight your corner for you and get you the navy injury compensation you deserve.
Useful Links
- The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Statement of Policy – This has all the information you need regarding the AFCS.
- The Royal Navy Royal Marines Welfare Team – This page explains who they are and what they do.
- The NHS’ guide on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – This provides information that you can refer to if you’re interested in seeking help for PTSD symptoms.
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Claims
Thanks for reading our navy accident claims guide.
