Royal Air Force Accident Claims – How To Claim? – How Much Can I Claim? – Complete Guide

How Much Can You Claim For An RAF Accident?

Do you serve, or have you served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and have you experienced a Royal Air Force accident at work that was caused by negligence on the part of your employer? If you have been injured or made ill because of a Royal Air Force accident that was not your fault, you may be able to make a Royal Air Force accident claim for compensation. This may well involve a personal injury claim, in addition to making an RAF compensation scheme claim. Whether you experienced an RAF pilot injury, RAF technician injury, RAF engineer injury, or were injured whilst serving in any other role, Legal Helpline may be able to help you.

Call Legal Helpline today on 0161 6969 685 or use our online claims form to get in touch. One of our knowledgeable advisors will be happy to advise you on making an RAF claim if you were injured because of negligence on the part of your employer. If we can see that you have legitimate grounds for making a Royal Air Force workplace accident claim, we will provide you with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer who will start working on your claim right away. The solicitors we work with have three decades of experience handling accidents at work claims, so your claim will be in the safest of hands. You will also have the option to make a No Win, No Fee claim. So call now to see if you are entitled to claim compensation.

Jump To A Section

A Guide To Royal Airforce Accident At Work Claims

Royal Air Force accident claims

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the aerial warfare force of the United Kingdom. It incorporates the regular air force, RAF auxiliary and Royal Air Force Reserves. Roles in the Royal Air Force include combat roles, such as pilots, and non-combat roles such as intelligence analysts, engineers and logistics roles. The Royal Air Force and the Ministry of Defence are employers and have a duty of care towards their employees. Therefore if an RAF employee is injured in a combat situation, or fulfilling other requirements of their job, due to an accident caused by negligence on the part of the RAF, the employee would have the right to claim compensation. The claim will be made against the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

We have, for your benefit, created this guide to making an RAF accident claim for injuries or an illness that was caused by an accident that was not your fault. We will look at what Royal Air Force accidents at work are, what types of workplace accidents can happen in the RAF, and what duty of care the RAF owes its personnel. We have also included a personal injury claims calculator to help you estimate how much compensation you could be owed for your injuries.

If you have been injured at work because of an accident that was not your fault, you may be able to make an accident at work compensation claim, in addition to a claim from the RAF compensation scheme. If you think you have reason to claim compensation, we will provide you with an excellent personal injury solicitor to handle your case. Contact us today for free legal advice and to begin your Royal Air Force accident at work claim.

What Are Royal Air Force Accidents At Work?

An RAF accident at work is an unwanted occurrence in the workplace, which results in a member of staff becoming injured or ill. The accident could take place during active duty or in a combat situation. However, Royal Air Force accidents at work can also take place during training exercises or in office facilities.

When we think of a Royal Air Force accident our thoughts may turn to a tragic accident, such as a Royal Air Force crash where the pilot is killed. Fortunately, accidents such as these are rare. What might be more common are typical accidents at work, such as personnel tripping on hazardous flooring; manual handling accidents resulting in musculoskeletal injuries; or an engineering accident involving machinery that has not been properly maintained. We will look at the different types of RAF accidents that can happen at work later in this guide.

Common RAF accidents at work, or industrial diseases, include:

  • Accidents caused by defective equipment.
  • Slip, trip and fall accidents.
  • Manual handling accidents caused by insufficient training.
  • Illness caused by exposure to hazardous substances, such as asbestos.
  • Noise-induced hearing loss.

Ministry Of Defence Health And Safety Statistics

What are the most common types of workplace injuries affecting Ministry of Defence personnel? The MOD Health and Safety Statistics Annual Report for 2017/8 (the most recent at the time of writing) shares the following findings for this period.

Here are some key statistics for 2017/8:

  • There were 20,843 reported health and safety incidents.
  • There were 13 deaths at work, 5 of which were safety-related.
  • 28% of injuries and illnesses at work were RIDDOR reportable. This means that they were classified as serious enough to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
  • The rates of injury due to accidents at work in the armed forces is higher for females than males.
  • The rate of injury is higher for untrained personnel than trained personnel.
  • 52% of MOD injuries at work occur during training exercises.
  • Almost one in four injuries during normal duty (as opposed to active combat) are caused by slip, trip or fall accidents.
  • 33% of health and safety incidents in the MOD were classified as a near miss or a dangerous occurrence.

What Duty of Care Does The MOD Have?

There is a popular misconception that because people who work for the armed forces often work in combat roles or in warzones, they are expendable. This is not true. The Ministry of Defence owes their employees a duty of care, whether they are on normal duty of active duty. Even in a warzone, the RAF and other military forces should take every precaution they can to keep their personnel as safe as possible and minimise harm.

What does a duty of care mean? A duty of care means that employers are supposed to provide their employees with a safe and hygienic environment in which to work. Employers are supposed to carry out regular risk assessments and if there is a hazard in the workplace (something that has a risk of causing accidents), the employer is supposed to apply control measures to remove the risk. If there are unavoidable hazards of the job, employers are supposed to apply control measures to mitigate the risk, such as providing the employees with adequate training on how to carry out their tasks safely or providing them with personal protective equipment (PPE).

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that employers should abide by the following standards to keep their employees safe:

  • Ensure an environment that the employer controls is safe and does not put the employee at risk. In the case of warfare, or training exercises there are still precautions that the military can take.
  • Providing staff with adequate training to ensure they can do their jobs safely, without harming others.
  • Maintaining equipment to a safe and adequate standard.
  • Ensuring that activities involving handling, transporting and storing equipment and work goods does not create a risk to the employee’s health.

If an employer fails to uphold their duty of care and an accident occurs in which an employee is harmed, they could be held liable for any resulting illness or injury. As a result, the employer would have to pay the employee compensation for their injuries. If you are an RAF employee who was injured or made ill because your employer acted negligently, causing an RAF workplace accident, why not call Legal Helpline today? We can provide you with an excellent personal injury solicitor to help you make a Royal Air Force accident claim for your injuries.

Types Of Royal Air Force Accidents At Work

We will now look at some of the most common types of accidents that can happen to RAF personnel, caused by insufficient MOD health and safety standards.

RAF Training Exercise Accidents

Even routine training exercises for the RAF can carry risks. Personnel can train for combat situations using dangerous equipment such as firearms, fighter jets and explosives. There was an incident in 2016 where an RAF serviceman was killed at a firearm range in Scotland link is here www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/01/police-called-to-incident-at-raf-tain-air-weapons-range-in-scotland. The range conducted weekly exercises which involved aerial bombing training using high-speed jets, rifle and small arms training. An RAF spokesman confirmed that the incident did not involve the use of bombs. Other injuries in the military can happen because of inadequate precautions and risk management being taken. For example in 2013 on one of the hottest days of the year, two soldiers serving in the army died on a training exercise due to overexertion and lack of water the link is here www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10178631/Two-soldiers-die-in-heat-while-training-in-Brecon-Beacons.html. The soldiers showed signs of being at risk from being severely affected by the heat but were not withdrawn from the exercise.

As well as risks of being shot, RAF pilot injuries, RAF technician injuries and RAF engineer injuries can all take place during training exercises if adequate health and safety precautions have not been taken.

RAF Accidents Caused By A Lack Of Proper Equipment

RAF personnel have to use a range of kit and equipment when training, or when deployed on duty. On active duty, vast amounts of military hardware have to be moved safely and efficiently, ensuring the correct equipment goes to the correct people. If personnel receive equipment that is insufficient or not fit for purpose during active duty, their lives can be put at risk, or they could find themselves at risk of injury.

Similarly, equipment that has not been properly maintained can cause accidents resulting in injury during training and routine workplace activities. This can include ladders, ear defenders, aircraft, parachutes, weapons and ammunition and road vehicles. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Ac 1974 states that employers are responsible for maintaining equipment that is used in the workplace to ensure it is safe to use. If you have suffered an injury or illness caused by Royal Air Force workplace accident negligence, call Legal Helpline to make an RAF accident claim.

RAF Workplace Slips And Falls

The HSE reports that slip, trip and fall accidents are the most common type of workplace accident. As we have already seen, according to MOD health and safety statistics, slip, trip and fall accidents account for nearly 25% of all normal duty military accidents. A slip, trip or fall accident can happen in an intelligence office, an aircraft carrier, a warehouse, medical quarters or any other type of RAF facility. 

Slip, trip and fall accidents can be caused by hazardous flooring, for example, or a loose floor tile, or a broken floorboard that has a nail sticking out which can cause passers-by to trip. A newly wet floor that has not been signposted or a wet floor caused by a leaking toilet can cause slipping accidents.

Injuries caused by slip, trip and fall accidents can include soft tissue injuries such as strains and sprains, or broken and fractured bones. Wrist injuries, knee injuries and ankle injuries can all happen because of RAF workplace slip, trip and fall accidents. If you are wondering, “How much can I claim for an ankle injury?”, “How much compensation will I get for a knee injury?” or how much you could claim for any other injury caused by a slip, trip or fall at work that was not your fault, call Legal Helpline to speak to an advisor today.

RAF Work-Related Hearing Loss Claims

There are regulations to protect employees in the RAF, and other professions, from suffering noise-induced hearing loss. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is when an individual is exposed to excessively loud noise over a prolonged period of time, causing permanent damage to their hearing. 

Another form of noise-induced hearing loss is acoustic shock syndrome, where an individual is exposed to a single excessively loud noise, such as an explosion, sending out a sound wave that permanently damages their ears. In the RAF, noise-induced hearing loss can be induced by the sound of aircraft taking off, or explosives being used during training exercises. If you were not provided with properly maintained and working ear defenders during these activities and suffered noise-induced hearing loss as a result, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

RAF Work-Related Aircraft Claims

Sadly, there have been RAF crashes which have been caused by negligence on the part of the Royal Air Force. For example, there have been times when an ejector seat on an aircraft hasn’t worked, the link is here www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/23/ejector-seat-maker-fined-11m-death-red-arrows-pilot-sean-cunningham, so the pilot or passenger hasn’t been able to escape the aircraft during the crash, causing their death. If your next of kin relative, such as your son or daughter, spouse or parent was killed because of an RAF crash that was caused by negligence on the part of the Royal Air Force, you could make a Royal Air Force accident claim for compensation. Call Legal Helpline today to speak to an advisor, and we will be able to accurately estimate how much you could claim and provide you with an excellent personal injury lawyer to handle your case.

Check If Your RAF Work Accident Is Eligible For Compensation

To make an RAF compensation claim, you must be or have been a serving member of the Royal Air Force. You must have been injured or made ill because of a Royal Air Force accident at work and that was caused by negligence on the part of your employer. If you are wondering if you are eligible to make a Royal Air Force accident compensation claim, speak to Legal Helpline. We can offer you free legal advice and assess your case.

Why Choose Legal Helpline To Help With Your Claim?

Legal Helpline is a trusted legal advisory service that can help anyone looking to make a personal injury claim. As well as offering a free personal injury claims consultation to anyone looking to make an accident claim, we can also provide you with an excellent personal injury solicitor, should you need one. Why trust our panel of solicitors to handle your claim? They have thirty years of experience handling accident claims and will always fight to win you the maximum amount of compensation you could be entitled to claim. So if you believe that you are owed compensation for a Royal Air Force workplace accident, call Legal Helpline to begin your claim today.

Royal Air Force Accident At Work Compensation Calculator

If you make a successful claim for a Royal Air Force workplace accident, you will be awarded a compensation package consisting of general damages and special damages. 

General damages are the main part of an accident at work compensation package. The intention is to compensate you for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that you have experienced as a result of your injuries or illness. 

You can use our personal injury claims calculator to estimate how much your armed forces injury claim could be worth. Please note that the calculator does not include special damages.

Injuries Sustained By The ClaimantNature Of This InjurySettlement including 10% uplift
Level D Chest InjuriesThese are simpler and less serious levels of injury to the chest. They could include injuries to the internal chest area and could include penetrating injuries.£11,820 to £16,860
Less Severe Injuries To The ArmThough recovered to a substantial degreem there is expected to be some level of disability as a result of this injury.£18,020 to £36,770
Partial Levels Of Hearing Loss Or TinnitusClaimants will have suffered either tinnitus, moderate hearing loss or have sustained both together. £13,970 to £27,890
Moderate Injuries To The Leg(s)Moderate injuries could include a wide bracket and it might include a crush injury or several fractures to the single limb or sinbgle bone.£26,050 to £36,790
Moderate Injuries To The Neck (Level 3)In this bracket, neck injuries might cause existing injuries to the neck to become worse or could include injuries to the soft tissues. £7,410 to £12,900
Traumatic Injuries Of The Digestive SystemSuch injuries in this bracket could cause discomfort or pain. The claimant might face complications in the future.£40,370 to £58,100
Serious Injuries To The ShoulderA serious injury to the shoulder might present as an injury to the bone, soft tissue or a dislocation of the joint. £11,980 to £18,020
Moderate Injuries To The BackBack injuries at this level may present as (or be similar to) crush injuries and fractures. Surgery may be necessary.£26,050 to £36,390
Simple Fracture Of The Forearm BonesOnly includes simple fractures of the bones in the forearm.£6,190 to £18,020

Special Damages You Could Claim If Injured Working For The RAF

As well as general damages, your claim may also include special damages. Special damages are designed to reimburse you for any financial losses or expenses that you have incurred or will incur in the future, as a result of your injuries. For example, if you needed private physiotherapy treatment to recover from your injuries or any other type of medical treatment, you can claim back these expenses. Other types of special damages you can claim include reimbursement for loss of income, reimbursement for any travel expenses, mobility equipment expenses, home or car adaptation expenses or at-home care expenses you may need as a result.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Claims

If you have been injured whilst working as military personnel since 2005, you could also claim compensation through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. This will be in addition to the personal injury claim that you make against the RAF. If you call Legal Helpline, we can advise you on claiming compensation from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme today.

No Win, No Fee Royal Air Force Accident At Work Claims

At Legal Helpline, we always give our clients the option to make a No Win, No Fee claim. This means that instead of paying your solicitors’ fee upfront, you will only have to pay your solicitors fee if you win your claim. In the unlikely event that you do not win your compensation claim, you will not have to pay your solicitors fees. For many of our clients, this is the more affordable and least risky option. To learn more and to begin your No Win, No Fee claim, call Legal Helpline today to speak to an advisor.

Talking To Legal Helpline

To begin your claim for a military accident or Royal Air Force workplace accident, call Legal Helpline today. One of our excellent personal injury claims specialists will speak to you in-depth to determine whether you are entitled to claim compensation. If they believe you do, they’ll provide you with an excellent personal injury solicitor to handle your case.

Call us today on 0161 6969 685 or use our contact form to reach us. If you have legitimate grounds to claim compensation, we would love to represent you. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Helpful References

How Much Can I Claim For Hospital Negligence Resulting In Death – How much compensation could I claim for medical negligence which results in death?

How Much Compensation For An Assault At Work Can I Claim? – Find out how to claim compensation if you have been assaulted in the workplace.

How Much Compensation For An Accident At Work Can I Claim? – Find out more information about how to claim for an accident in the workplace.

Car Accident Claims – Find out how much compensation you could claim.

Cycle Accident Claims – Find out how much compensation you could claim.

External Links

Royal Air Force website – More information about the Royal Air Force.

A government guide to claiming compensation if you were injured whilst serving in the armed forces – A guide from the government to claiming compensation if harmed whilst serving in the armed forces.

The Ministry Of Defence Health And Safety Statistics Report – Health and Safety statistics collected by the UK’s MoD.

 

Guide by HE

Edited by REG