Military Non-Freezing Cold Injury Compensation

Find out whether you can claim military non-freezing cold compensation. Being a part of the armed forces, whether you are in the infantry, navy, or air force, often means that you have to be outside for long periods of time. The climates that you might find yourself in are not always warm, you could be outside in the wet and cold for hours on end.

Being outside in cold or wet weather for a long period of time can lead to a non-freezing cold injury (NFCI), also known as a ‘cold weather injury’ of which ‘trench foot’ is a specific type of injury. An NFCI injury can lead to permanent damage to the nerves and blood vessels of the damaged area if left untreated.

If you have been injured due to experiencing negligence in the armed forces, you could be able to claim military non-freezing cold compensation. To find out whether you can claim military non-freezing cold compensation, speak to First Personal Injury today.

To assess your claim, contact us on 0800 808 9740 or online.

The Responsibility Of The Armed Forces

Just like any other employer, the Minister of Defence (MoD) have a duty of care towards their employees and their safety. Therefore, there are certain protections that the MoD should put in place in order to protect their soldiers and military personnel. These protections include:

• The enforcement of training and education in order to help soldiers recognise the signs of NFCI injuries and to prevent the condition from occurring.

• The MoD should limit unnecessary exposure to wet or cold conditions, such as ensuring that their soldiers are not out in the cold or wet for too long.

• Equipping their military personnel with suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and boots which are needed for these conditions.

• They should allow their soldiers to warm up and dry their hands and feet at scheduled intervals so that no one’s hands and feet are cold or wet for too long a period.

• Your superiors/commanding officers should make the work environment safe enough that you feel that you can go to them if you believe you are suffering from a medical injury. Furthermore, hey should be able to identify signs of NFCI injuries. They should help you get medical treatment if you alert them to the fact that you might be suffering from an NFCI injury and they identify that you are.

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Military Non-Freezing Cold Compensation Types

NFCI injuries happen when areas of the body, usually the hands or the feet, are exposed to wet or cold weather conditions for long periods of time without them being dried or warmed up in a safe timeframe. Later on, when the impacted area is warmed up, sufferers may experience pain and a yellowish tint to the skin – as well as/or redness, swelling and significant lasting pain – may occur in the affected area.

The impacted area will then usually be more sensitive to the cold. NFCI injuries can range from mild to severe with some injuries being so severe that people can no longer work outside and they may have to be medically discharged from the armed forces.

There are two specific types of NFCI injuries. These injuries are:

• Chilblains – these are small, red, itchy patches that can appear on the skin after you have been in the cold for long periods of time. These red patches can be painful for a period of time while the skin heals.
• Trench foot – also referred to as immersion foot or hand. Trench foot occurs due to prolonged exposure to damp and moisture. The initial symptoms of trench foot include itching and then numbness. The feet may then become red or blueish in colour and if it is not treated the feet could swell, become infected and even possibly decay.

If you have developed an NFCI injury due to a failure of the MoD to protect your safety, you could be able to claim military non-freezing cold compensation.

Contact First Personal Injury to find out whether you can claim today.

Military Non-Freezing Cold Compensation

There are multiple different injury types you could suffer from when attempting to claim military non-freezing cold compensation. The amount of compensation that you are awarded is therefore unique to each specific case. The amount of compensation that you are awarded in your case will be determined by looking at two categories: general damages and special damages.

General Damages

General damages refers to the physical and emotional damage caused by your injuries or illness. In the simplest terms, it refers to compensation for pain and suffering. This type of compensation also covers any losses of amenity, aka a decrease in ability to function, that has arisen from the injuries sustained in an accident. To view estimates for personal injury types, visit our compensation calculator.

Special Damages

Special damages compensation refers to compensation that covers the financial losses and expenses incurred as a result of an accident or medical negligence. Special damages could help to reclaim a loss of income if you have been unable to work due to your physiotherapy-related injuries. Similarly, if you have had to pay to go a medical appointment or if you had to pay to travel to a medical appointment, you could be able to claim these medical costs back.

Making Personal Injury Claims

If you have suffered a personal injury, you may be entitled to receive compensation. First Personal Injury solicitors are available to assist you and ensure that you win the compensation that you deserve.

First Personal Injury work with both families and individuals across England and Wales, leading them on their legal journey and helping them claim compensation after an accident or injury. Contact our specialist team to begin the process, either by phone on 0800 808 9740 or through our online form.