Off Duty Military Accident Claims

If you work in the military and have been injured while off duty in an accident that wasn't your fault, our solicitors could help you claim compensation. If you've been assaulted while off duty, we could also help you to make a claim.

We understand that service personnel have different needs when making a claim. Concerns about loss of service benefits, pay and allowances following an injury are common. We'll make sure all these things are considered when pursuing compensation for you.

Insurance companies often have limited knowledge of the value of a lost service career. So, without specialist military lawyers to accurately value your claim, it could be settled for less than you’re entitled to.

If you’ve any questions about claiming compensation for an accident that happened while off duty, call us today for a free initial consultation about your case or contact us online.

What types of off duty military injuries could I claim compensation for?

We've represented service personnel who have been in several different kinds of accidents off duty, including:

In some cases, such as injuries sustained at a gym or service approved sporting event, it may be possible to claim from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Our specialist solicitors will be able to advise you on who we’ll need to claim against for your injuries.

Our lawyers are also experienced in claiming through the Criminal Injuries (Overseas) Compensation Scheme, which is a specialist scheme for service personnel (and their families) who’ve been assaulted abroad.

If you’ve been injured in an off duty accident while serving in the Army, Navy, RAF or Special Forces, you may be able to claim compensation. You may also be able to claim if you were injured while serving in the Army Reserve (formerly the Territorial Army), Navy, RAF, or Special Forces Reserves.

Why choose Irwin Mitchell to handle your off duty military injury claim?

We’ve the largest personal injury team in the UK, claiming a total of over £1.5 billion in recent years for our clients. No matter the injury, and no matter the circumstances, you’ll be met with compassionate, practical advice that puts your wellbeing first.

Our military injury claims team includes former military personnel. This gives us specialist insight into how to get you the compensation you deserve.

It also means we understand how you must be feeling after sustaining an injury while off duty. That’s why we’ll treat your claim as the unique situation it is, handling it with sensitivity and care, while also giving you tailored legal advice on how we think it’s best to approach your case.

Our friendly and experienced support services teams are also here to help you throughout your claim and beyond. If you need specialist support, the trained clinical experts in our Support and Rehabilitation team are here to help you get it. We’ve strong relationships with charities and support groups of all kinds throughout the UK, so we can help you access support that’s close by.

The experts in our Welfare Benefits team will also be available to advise you on whether you’re entitled to claim any means-tested benefits due to your injuries. They’ll then help you to access these benefits. Our experts can give advice on ringfencing your military pension and protecting other assets.

We can also set up a personal injury trust for you, which keeps your compensation separate from the rest of your finances. This stops your compensation from being considered when calculating your benefit entitlement, making sure you get all the financial support you need.

To make the claims process as comfortable and convenient for you as possible, we tailor the way we work with our clients. If you’d like to meet with us in person, we can either visit you at home or in hospital, or you can visit us at one of the many offices we’ve located across the UK. If you prefer to communicate remotely, we can set up phone or video calls.

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More information on off duty military accident claims

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who can claim compensation for an off duty accident?

If you were involved in an accident that wasn't your fault while you were off duty, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

There are different rules for military personnel who are injured while on duty, but if you were off duty at the time then you'll generally have the same rights to make a claim as a civilian would.

The only difference may be if you were on a base, but off duty, when your accident happened. In this case, it may be that the Ministry of Defence is liable for your compensation, depending on the circumstances of your accident. In this case, you may also be able to claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, but there’s nothing stopping you from making a civil claim too.

If you were off base at the time of your accident, then you can make a claim if someone else was responsible for your injuries, whether it was an accident caused by another party's negligence, or a criminal assault.

We've helped our clients claim for a wide range of injuries, in an equally wide range of circumstances, including:

Road traffic accidents
Criminal assaults
Sporting or gym accidents
Burns
Slips, trips and falls
Holiday accidents.

Injuries that we have helped our clients claim for include:

Soft tissue injuries
Broken bones
Serious injuries
Fatal injuries
Psychological trauma.

However, these lists are by no means exhaustive. No matter what your circumstances, if you believe that someone else was responsible for your injuries, then you may have a claim. For more information, contact us and we'll be happy to discuss your options in a free initial consultation.

Can I claim if I was assaulted abroad?

Since 1979, the MoD has operated the Criminal Injuries (Overseas) Compensation Scheme, which mirrors the UK Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme. This allows service personnel deployed abroad (and their families) to claim compensation if they’re subjected to a violent crime.

You normally have two years from the date of the assault to claim through the Criminal Injuries (Overseas) Compensation Scheme. If you've experienced criminal violence after being stationed overseas, it’s important to contact us as soon as possible so we can begin investigating your claim.

Claiming compensation can be a daunting prospect for anyone, so it helps to have the experts on your side. If you’ve any questions about our services, and how we can help, don't hesitate to contact us for a free initial consultation on your claim.

Are the rules around claiming different for civilian and military personnel?

As a member of the armed forces, you have the same right to make a compensation claim for an accident or injury that occurred because of negligence as civilians. You're entitled to claim compensation for accidents that occurred while you were off duty too.

If you're claiming for an accident that occurred during your service, the claim will be brought against the Ministry of Defence. If the accident occurred while you were off duty, we'll determine the party liable for your compensation during the claims process.

If you’re unsure whether you can make a legal claim, please call our military experts.

Awards and Accreditation

We're always proud to be recognised for the work we do for our clients and have been named as a leading firm in the latest legal guides - which provide information and recommendations about lawyers and law firms in the UK.

Strong client care ethos

Excellent and well known team that acts quickly and is a pleasure to work with."

Head and shoulders above others

They make themselves available to their clients and are willing to go the extra mile."

What Our Clients Say

We truly value and appreciate the feedback we receive from our clients, as we look to improve the services we offer on an ongoing basis.

Our Armed Forces Expertise

Since 1987, our specialist military injury team has helped hundreds of injured personnel from the Army, RAF and Royal Navy to claim compensation. We are considered one of the top law firms in the country for military claims and several cases we were involved in were recently featured in the Chilcot Inquiry.

We work closely with a number of Armed Forces welfare branches and organisations, and are the PAX appointed legal representatives under the PAX Personal Accident Insurance Scheme. We're also proud supporters of:

The Royal British Legion Solicitors Group
Help For Heroes
SSAFA Forces Help

Several of our solicitors were part of team that recently won The Claims Innovation Award for Legal Service Team of the Year (2016) for their pro bono work within The Royal British Legion Solicitors Group (TRBLSG).

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