Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently outlined his plan to have our troops out of Iraq by the summer of 2009. There are currently 4,100 British troops still serving in Basra. It is believed that the British Troops will begin leaving Iraq in March 2009 provided the Iraqi elections that are to be held in this month (January 2009) conclude peacefully.
The total number of fatalities of British troops serving in Iraq reached 178 on the 11th December 2008, when a soldier died as a result of a gunshot wound in Basra. With many more causalities also reported throughout the war that began 6 years ago.
The Ministry of Defence as with any employer has a duty of care to it employees. The MOD must therefore provide adequate training and equipment as well as provide a working environment that is as safe as possible given the conditions and work that our service men and women are carrying out. However, if the MOD is found to be in breach of their duty of care to their employees and leading to a service man or woman being injured there is The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) which is set up in order to assist and compensate injured personnel.
There are a number of different types of accidents a service man and woman could find themselves involved in. The first that would probably come to mind would be military accidents. Accidents and injuries sustained during military action, these are usually caused badly functioning or maintained equipment or ill trained troops. Other types of accidents that our troops could find themselves caught up in are road traffic claims and criminal injury claims. As well as an illness or disease contacted as a result of serving in the forces, such as being subjected to harmful substances which in later life lead to a illness or disease.
It is worth remembering that in order to begin a claim with the AFCS you don’t have to be still serving in the forces, personnel can also claim. However, a claim must be registered with the AFCS within 5 years of either; the injury occurring; you being diagnosed with an illness/disease that you believe you have contracted as a result of your service in the armed forces or after retirement, which ever of these dates occurs the earliest.
As well as making a claim through the AFCS service men and women are also able to bring a civil claim against the MOD. Civil claims are often compensated great deal higher than under the AFCS. It is important when considering making a claim of this kind that you obtain the best possible advise and instruct a legal expert with experience in this particular field.
Help for Heroes is a charity set up to help injured service men and women re-build their lives after suffering an accident whist in the line of duty. The Charity was founded as little ago as October 2007 and in recent months and received well deserve media attention for the excellent work it carries out and with big name celebrity supporters such as David Beckham, Sharon Osborune and both Prince William and Harry. For further information visit their website www.helpforheroes.org.uk
