ARmy Rumour SErvice

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Maimed soldier payout 'insulting'

The former paratrooper will need special care for the rest of his life
The mother of a soldier who lost both his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan is to challenge his "insulting" compensation award in the High Court.
Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson, 23, was injured by a landmine in September.

The paratrooper, who will need special medical care for the rest of his life, was awarded £152,150 in compensation.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the soldier would also receive a guaranteed income payment for the rest of his life once he had left the Army.

Mr Parkinson is reportedly one of the most seriously injured soldiers to survive.

We owe it to all the injured soldiers to fight for the compensation they deserve, and which will help them to live the best quality life they can expect

However, the award he received is only slightly more than half the maximum £285,000 which can be given to injured military personnel.

Diane Dernie, 49, is setting up a "fighting fund" to pay for her High Court bid.

She said: "We just can't believe that a scheme intended to care for soldiers who put themselves in such dangerous situations could be so flawed.

"Any assessment of injury must look at the totality of those injuries to make a true award based on the long-term needs of the victim.

Set tariff

"The severity of Ben's injuries means that we need to be able to move to an adapted house to help him live as normal a life as possible."

The soldier was injured in a landmine explosion

Mr Parkinson lost both his legs as well as suffering a brain injury, fractures to his skull, cheekbone, nose, jaw, pelvis and vertebrae, as well as serious damage to his spleen and chest.

But, according to his lawyers, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) only considers the three "worst" injuries, which are then assessed financially against a set tariff.

Mrs Dernie said her plans for a legal challenge were being backed by a number of other injured servicemen and their families.

"We owe it to all the injured soldiers to fight for the compensation they deserve, and which will help them to live the best quality life they can expect," she said.

In a statement, the MoD said: "The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme has made a lump sum payment to Ben Parkinson and will make additional monthly tax-free payments when he leaves service.

"The sum total of these could exceed £1m over his lifetime."

Already done multiple times. Let's keep our anger focussed in one thread.

clicky