It's all about timing
January 18, 2012
Posted by:Alison Hinder
15th May 1987 may not stick in your memory but it is a very important date for military solicitors. On that date the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 gave servicemen and women the right to sue the Ministry of Defence for negligence. The date acts as an absolute cut off point, and claims cannot be brought for negligence occurring before that time unless the injury was caused by an assault. With the increasing number of military redundancies we are seeing more personnel with long careers being discharged due to an injury that they have coped with for many years. Unfortunately, if the injury predates the Act there is nothing we can do to bring a military compensation claim. Correctly pinpointing the timing of key events is crucial and complicated in cases where injuries date from the 1980s, so it is always worth contacting us to find out what we can do to help.