Non-Freezing Cold Injury (NFCI) Claims

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The military has known about the effects of non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) since the First World War. So it’s frustrating that many of our troops still have their service cut short by it.

Most NFCIs are avoidable. If you’ve suffered a non-freezing cold injury in the military, we may be able to help you claim compensation. Our solicitors pioneered NFCI claims against the MoD. Over the years we’ve helped hundreds of people claim – and we could help you too.

For a free initial consultation about your non-freezing cold injury claim call us on 0800 022 3321 or contact us online.

What Is A Non-Freezing Cold Injury?

Non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) is caused by long periods of exposure to cold conditions. NFCI is also known as immersion foot, but the general public is probably more familiar with the term “trench foot”.

The symptoms of NFCIs include being more sensitive to the cold than before, as well as chronic pain.

Military personnel are particularly at risk, when operating in cold weather environments. In these conditions activities that involve being stationary for a long period can have a higher risk. These can include:

  • Sentry duty
  • Manning an observation post
  • Setting an ambush
  • Navy divers working for long periods in cold water.

If you’re Black, African, Caribbean or Black British, then the risks of you developing a NFCI are significantly higher.

The best treatment for NFCIs is preventing them happening in the first place. Quick treatment is key to minimising the damage caused. Sadly, if there’s a delay in treating the injury, it will usually result in a medical discharge.

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Can You Claim Compensation?

This will depend on how your non-freezing cold injury happened.

NFCIs are almost entirely avoidable. While training and exercises are designed to simulate “the real thing”, this shouldn’t be at the expense of your health.

Our solicitors regularly deal with NFCI claims that are due to:

  • Lack of suitable kit
  • Lack of training for NCOs and officers to identify a NFCI
  • Failing to remove the affected individual from the cold/wet conditions, or not removing them early enough
  • Re-exposing individuals to cold conditions.

If you’ve developed a non-freezing cold injury, it’s likely that one of the factors above is responsible.

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What Are The Time Limits For Making A NFCI Claim?

The usual time limit for making a non-freezing cold injury claim is three years from the date your NFCI was diagnosed.

We’re seeing increased numbers of personnel being misdiagnosed as having Raynaud’s, which has very similar symptoms. If you think your injury may be NFCI rather than Raynaud’s, please get in touch.

Don’t leave it until you know your military career is over. The MoD, like any employer, can’t discriminate against you because you’re claiming compensation. The earlier you contact us the better.

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How Much Compensation Will You Get?

The amount of compensation you can claim will depend on your individual circumstances.

Many non-freezing cold injuries are career-ending, and can also affect your chances of getting a job after being discharged. Our solicitors are experts in this area, and can help you claim the maximum amount of compensation that you’re entitled to.

We will calculate your claim based on a factors that include your:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Ability to get a job after being discharged
  • Loss of earnings
  • Loss of pension
  • Loss of service benefits
  • Loss of British residency if you’re a soldier from the Commonwealth.

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Why Choose Us?

We have a dedicated team of military lawyers who work on nothing else but claims against the MoD. Our lawyers are highly experienced, and know this area of the law inside out.

Simon Harrington (who heads our NFCI team) successfully made the first claims in this area. Over the years we’ve helped hundreds of clients, and have claimed more than £10 million in compensation for them.

We have particular expertise helping soldiers from the Commonwealth. In these cases we specialise in helping you also claim for loss of British residency following medical discharge.

Most of our claims are funded using a no win no fee agreement. This means that you don’t have to pay a penny upfront. If your claim is unsuccessful, there’s nothing to pay.

We understand that you may have mixed feelings about claiming against the MoD. But when you’re prepared to put your life on the line for your country, the least you should expect is that you’ll be looked after properly. Our team will help you get the compensation you deserve, so that you can move forward with your life.

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Contact Us

Call us on 0800 022 3321 or contact us online for a free initial consultation about your claim.

No Win No Fee*
Expert lawyers with a service background
Specialist experience of acting for Commonwealth soldiers
Recovered more than £10m across 750 cases to date

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Simon Harrington
Simon Harrington Partner Meet the team

Client Story

Non-Freezing Cold Injury Misdiagnosed As Raynaud’s Cold Injury

Morgan Gilbert suffered a NFCI while on tour in Afghanistan after being exposed to prolonged periods of extreme cold.

On return to the UK, Morgan started to experience problems on an exercise. His Medical Officer and a Rheumatologist misdiagnosed him as having Raynaud’s. This was despite all the tests relating to Raynaud’s coming back negative.

Unfortunately Morgan’s injury led to him being medically discharged from the Army in 2015, following 16 years’ service.

However, Morgan wasn’t convinced he had Raynaud’s. He approached our Military team – who immediately recognised his condition as being a non-freezing cold injury. This was then confirmed by a medical expert.

With the correct diagnosis, our solicitors were able to get Morgan compensation for his injuries and the loss of his military career.

Speaking about his injury, Morgan says:

"This condition has had a huge impact on my life and I feel I deserve to know whether more should, or could, have been done to correctly diagnose me or stop it from developing in the first place.

In this day and age it seems unthinkable that service personnel would be let down, like I have been, despite the Army being well aware of such conditions."


Alexander Davenport

“Non-freezing cold injury shouldn’t still be ending careers. Quick diagnosis and treatment are key to preventing this debilitating injury.

We’re pleased to have helped Morgan get compensation. But the MoD still has a big task to educate personnel, and to prevent these injuries happening in the first place.” - Alexander Davenport, Associate Solicitor

Read More Client Stories

Related Information - Non-Freezing Cold Injury Claims

Support Services - We’re here to help you access the support you need
Focus On Military - Our bi-annual newsletter for the Service Community
Personal Injury Compensation Guide - A general overview of how personal injury claims work
Armed Forces Medical Negligence Claims - You may be able to claim if your cold injury was misdiagnosed

Scottish Flag All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.

*To make a No Win No Fee claim, you need to enter into an agreement that's linked to a suitable insurance policy. We'll explain this in more detail before we start your claim.

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