Soldier wins £2.5 million payout from MoD after getting shot in the foot during a training exercise
- The Ministry of Defence spent £129.7m in compensation payouts last year
- A soldier was paid £2.5m after he was shot in the foot during a training exercise
- There were nearly 3,000 claims and a 55 per cent growth in payouts, figures say
A soldier has won a £2.5m payout from the Ministry of Defence after getting shot in the foot during a training exercise.
The MoD also handed out £3.7m for crush injuries suffered by another member of the military, and £3.3m to settle an action by a claimant who suffered road traffic accident injuries.
In total, the military chiefs spent a record £129.7m in payouts last year after being sued by military personnel, staff and the public.
The Ministry of Defence paid compensation worth £129.7m to civilians and soldiers, last year. In one case, a member of the military was given £2.5m after he injured his foot during a training exercise (file image)
There were nearly 3,000 claims lodged against the MoD and marked a staggering 55 per cent increase on the £83.7m figure paid five years ago.
Compensation worth £1.7m was used to settle a claim brought by an individual who suffered a brain injury on an adventure training course, according to stats seen by the Sun.
But the full cash isn’t guaranteed as legal fees are included in the settlements.
Compensation worth £1.7m was used to settle a claim brought by an individual who suffered a brain injury on an adventure training course. It comes just days after three former servicemen (pictured, soldiers at a training area in Salisbury) were awarded more than £10m each after ‘inadequate’ MoD vehicles failed
Under the MoD’s Armed Forces Compensation scheme, soldiers get just £27,000 if they lose both fingers in battle.
They are paid £10,000 if they get shot in the chest and £6,000 for low-level PTSD.
Ex-commander Colonel Richard Kemp said: ‘It is hard to understand how there can be such a dramatic a dramatic increase in compensation compared to five years ago when the forces were bigger than they are today.’
Meanwhile soldier get just £27,000 if they lose both fingers in battle, under the MoD’s Armed Forces Compensation scheme. Pictured: Soldiers demonstrate the latest and future technology used on operations, in Salisbury
It comes just days after three former servicemen were awarded more than £10m each after ‘inadequate’ MoD vehicles failed to protect them from improvised explosives.
The veterans suffered serious injuries when roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs) hit their ‘inadequately armoured’ vehicles in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2009.
The MoD has been approached for comment.