Your employer has a responsibility to keep you as safe as possible at work – even if you’re serving in the armed forces. Our personal injury solicitors can help you claim compensation if you’ve contracted a disease due to unsafe working conditions in the military.

Armed forces personnel do a vast range of jobs, many of which involve working in hazardous environments or with hazardous materials.

You have a right to adequate training and protection so you can do these jobs safely. Without the right measures in place, you’re at risk of developing a serious illness that could cause life-long medical problems.

Our lawyers may be able to help you claim compensation if you've suffered:

  • Noise-induced hearing damage from working in loud environments without hearing protection
  • Eczema or dermatitis from handling hazardous substances without skin protection
  • Asthma or other respiratory problems from working near noxious fumes without a mask
  • Mesothelioma and other diseases due to exposure to asbestos dust
  • Tropical diseases such as malaria.

We have over 25 years of experience helping serving and former armed forces personnel claim compensation from the Ministry of Defence and through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. We’ve secured compensation for hundreds of people across all branches of the armed forces.

With former service personnel as part of our military injury team, we understand the unique needs and concerns involved with working in the military.

We know that your service benefits and earnings are important to you and that you may be worried about a medical discharge or downgrade. We’ll make sure your compensation covers any lost earnings or benefits, as well as for the cost of retraining for a new job if necessary.

Whether you were serving in the Army, Navy, RAF, or Special Forces when you developed your disease, we can help. Current and former personnel, reservists, and civilian employees can all claim.

Many of our cases are funded through No Win No Fee agreements, which mean there’s no financial risk to you*.

Contact us online or call us on 0800 022 3321 for a free initial consultation to learn more.

Active members of The Royal British Legion Solicitors Group
Expert lawyers with a service background
Bringing claims against the MoD since 1987
No Win No Fee*

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Military Disease Claims - More Information

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Should The Military Do To Protect Personnel From Disease?

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, employers have a duty of care to their employees, and must protect them from health risks in the workplace. If a risk cannot be eliminated, the employer has a duty to reduce the level of risk as low as is reasonably practicable. This duty applies to the Ministry of Defence too.

Employers must also give you suitable training and, where appropriate, the adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) you need to work safely. This may include:

  • Gloves
  • Overalls
  • Boots
  • Masks
  • Hearing protection.

If you are serving abroad, they should also provide you with vaccinations, mosquito nets, or filtered water where appropriate to reduce the risk of tropical diseases.

How Long Do I Have To Claim?

You have up to three years after you contracted your disease to make a normal personal injury claim, or up to seven years for an Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claim.

However, most people don’t realise that they have developed a disease straight away. You also might not realise what caused your illness.

In these cases, the time limits apply from when you should have reasonably noticed the disease and linked it to your working conditions.

It is always best to start your claim as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of success. Get in touch with us today – use our online contact form or call us free on 0800 022 3321.

Can I Claim If My Disease Was Misdiagnosed?

There are two main types of misdiagnosis:

  • Incorrect or missed diagnosis - when you are diagnosed with the wrong condition or fails to diagnose any problem at all
  • Late diagnosis - when your condition is identified late and your treatment is delayed.

You could endure unnecessary suffering and could be left with permanent health problems if your symptoms go untreated too long. Receiving the wrong treatment could cause additional unpleasant side-effects.

See our Armed Forced Medical Negligence page for more information about claiming if you’ve suffered due to a misdiagnosed disease.

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Royal British Legion

We're proud to be part of The Royal British Legion Solicitor's Group


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).

 


Our Offices

Our offices are located in major cities throughout the UK and have excellent transport links.