Our military injury solicitors helped a tank driver to claim compensation after his tank malfunctioned during a live fire exercise. The malfunction caused a round to explode inside the vehicle.
What Happened When The Tank Malfunctioned
In 2017, our client, Oliver*, was a driver in the Royal Tank Regiment in the Army. As the driver of a Challenger 2 tank, he was taking part in a live fire exercise, testing the tank’s main gun.
When Oliver fired the main gun, it didn’t recoil as it was supposed to. Unknown to Oliver, the gun was missing the bolt vent axial (BVA), a key component of the gun. The BVA’s purpose is to form an air tight seal which prevents hot gases from escaping into the crew area inside the tank.
The tank’s lack of a BVA allowed the extremely hot pressurised gases in the barrel of the gun to come rushing back into the tank turret when the gun was fired. Ignited in the barrel, the gas was released into the crew area as an immensely hot and ferocious fireball, severely burning Oliver.
Sadly, the accident killed two soldiers and caused another serviceman to suffer multiple serious injuries. Our specialist military injury solicitors represented Oliver and another soldier at the Coroner’s Inquest.
How Oliver’s Injuries Affected Him
As a result of his PTSD, Oliver was medically discharged from the Armed Forces. This really affected Oliver’s life, as he’d planned to have a full career in the military.
Working With Oliver And Gathering Evidence For His Case
Oliver got in touch with our specialist military injury solicitors to find out if he could make a compensation claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD). He also wanted legal representation at the Inquest hearing for the deaths of his colleagues. Our expert solicitor, Andrew Buckham, took on Oliver’s case and started putting together evidence to show that the MoD were at fault for Oliver’s accident.
Andrew requested Oliver’s medical records as evidence of the accident causing his injuries. Andrew then sent the MoD a letter of claim to let them know Oliver was making a claim against them. As a result, he got the MoD to admit their responsibility for Oliver’s accident.
After this, Andrew gathered evidence to show the severity of Oliver’s injuries and what rehabilitation he’d likely need to make the best possible recovery.
Helping Oliver Get The Compensation He Deserved
Andrew’s hard work and the evidence he’d gathered convinced the MoD to agree to a joint settlement meeting. At the meeting, Andrew got the MoD to offer Oliver a life-changing £500,000 in compensation. This will help cover the costs of Oliver’s medical expenses and rehabilitation, as well as any psychological support he’ll need to move forward from his trauma.
The compensation will also help Oliver to retrain for a new career and compensate him for his lost income and career opportunities from being medically discharged from the Army.
“Oliver’s accident was a hugely traumatic experience for him and he’s shown real strength throughout his case. I’m so glad I could get him the compensation he deserved after what he’s been through.” – Andrew Buckham, military injury solicitor.
If you’ve suffered an injury while working in military service, our specialist military injury solicitors could help you claim compensation.
*Not actual names used
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