MoD paid record £8.3million to serving member of military for life-changing injuries suffered in crash

THE MoD paid £8.3million to a serving member of the military for life-changing injuries suffered in a road crash.

The payout, thought to be a record, tops settlements made last year.

A parachuting accident cost £3.5m to settle, and £1m went to a civilian who suffered from severe symptoms linked to stress.

The huge claims were made via civil courts as the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme caps payouts at £570,000.

Retired commander Col Richard Kemp said: “While it is right that people injured should be compensated, in tough times the amounts should be kept down.”

John McQuater, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers said: “Everyone who is injured as a result of someone else’s negligence has a right to make a legal claim.

“The brave servicemen and women who potentially risk their lives for their country are no different.

“Their compensation is crucial in helping them to get their lives back on track, and will only be paid through the civil courts if negligence is proven.”

The MoD said: “We try to protect our people against risk as much as possible by ensuring our training, operations and work environments are rigorously risk assessed and follow strict safety procedures.

“Where injuries occur, we offer several avenues for individuals to seek compensation and aim to make sure claims are dealt with as quickly and fairly as possible.”