Specialist support for former Royal Marine injured during reconnaissance training

We helped Chris*, a former Royal Marine, after he was injured during reconnaissance training. The settlement will help Chris and his family with costs of his rehabilitation and any specialist equipment.

What happened to Chris?

Chris was attempting selection for a specialist military unit but had an accident during the selection process in 2016.

While conducting reconnaissance training, he was tasked with setting up an observation post close to a target. During the task in darkness, he walked through a farm gate in the target area and as he did so he fell 12 feet onto a rock, resulting in a severe femur fracture and hip damage. The rock that he fell onto had been part of a stone wall which had collapsed.

In 2022, the claimant underwent further surgery to address complications from his injury, including the removal of impinging bone and a cyst.

How has this impacted his life?

Despite the surgery, Chris still experiences intrusive pain on most days because of his injury and suffers pain doing everyday tasks and domestic activities.

Chris also has a young family. His injuries have impacted his ability to care for them.

His injuries also prevented him from progressing his career in the Marines. As a result, Chris would lose out on significant income in the future.

How did Irwin Mitchell help Chris?

Chris submitted an Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) claim which had not been settled after several years. He decided to contact our team of specialist armed forces claims solicitors to seek compensation for his injuries.

Through negotiations with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), we were able to secure a substantial settlement. This allowed him and his family to manage the costs of any rehabilitation and equipment needed and help him move his life in a different direction.

The compensation considered his loss of promotional opportunities and subsequent loss of earnings and pension from his career with the military.

Chris is now seeking a role in the civilian job market in the IT industry. He was also successful in his claim through the AFCS, in addition to his personal injury claim.

*Not real name used.