Justice prevails as soldier wins battle at home
It has been revealed that an injured paratrooper who battled the odds to walk out at Wembley with the Carling Cup, has won his legal battle for a compensation claim.
The private, from Manchester, was told by his insurers that his personal injury claim may become void, after they saw him walk unaided onto the pitch.
The solider, who was told he might never walk again after being hit by shrapnel in Afghanistan in July 2008, said he was “thankful” his claim had now been settled.
Incident of friendly fire
The Para was hit by a 30mm round form an Apache helicopter during a friendly fire incident. It left him with severe nerve damage and he now has no use of his calves or left foot, wears a splint to walk and can only move his right foot slightly.
The private then spent weeks practising walking without his crutches after being invited to carry the cup ahead of the final between his beloved Manchester United and Aston Villa in February.
Insurance company reviews claim
It was after the televised match that he said he received a message informing him a £25,000 claim with his insurance group was being reviewed.
He took out the £56 a month cover before being deployed to Afghanistan. The company confirmed that it had contacted the soldier's social worker after his pitch side appearance, but said that his case was already under review pending medical information.
He revealed that one member of staff at the insurance firm took up his case and fought on his behalf. He stated: “I'm just glad that is has been paid out now.
“I'd have to say the hierarchy of the insurance company didn't actually know it was going on. I understand they've got thousands who are injured coming back from Afghanistan, so they can't be aware of all the cases. I was confident it would get sorted-when he gave me the cheque I couldn't thank him enough.”
Soldier wins £330,000 for ear damage
In similar news, it has emerged that a former soldier has won an accident claim for £328,941 after suffering permanent damage to his ear due to a training incident.
Newcastle County Court awarded the settlement amount after the claimant was left partially deaf and suffering from tinnitus, when instructors failed to provide him with hearing protection during a live firing exercise.
As a result, he was subsequently unable to fulfil his aspirations in becoming an army pilot and was eventually discharged from the service on medical grounds. He further claimed that his disability had hindered his prospects in the job market.
Though the Ministry of Defence admitted liability for the incident, the plaintiff was dissatisfied with the payout he would have received through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and instead chose to pursue legal action through civilian courts.
His injury lawyers commented on the successful claim: “Our client's injury was bad enough for him to have to leave the Army but not so bad to be compensated.
“It is my opinion that the Government brought in the compensation scheme to stop soldiers claiming through the courts. It was a penny pinching exercise but it has backfired on them."
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Updated on 24/05/2010