Military training accident claims

Our team has built strong relationships with military personnel, and specialise in military accident claims. If you have suffered a serious injury during military training, our specialists will take the time to explain your options and help you secure the support you may need to recover.

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Reviewed by

Caroline Morris

Managing Director of Serious Injury

Last Updated

6th October 2026

Can I make a military training accident claim?

Military training involves risk, but that does not mean every injury is simply an acceptable part of service. If reasonable steps were not taken to protect you during training and you were injured as a result, you may be able to make a military training accident claim.

When listening to your experience, our expert team will consider whether there was an avoidable failing in the planning, equipment, supervision or management of the training you received – and whether this contributed to your injury in some way.

There are a range of circumstances that could lead to a potential claim. Circumstances include but are not limited to; inadequate risk assessments or poor planning, and defective PPE.

You don’t need to know who was legally at fault before contacting us. Our specialist solicitors can investigate what happened and help you understand whether you have grounds for a compensation claim. You may also still have options if you think you were partly responsible or if some time has passed since your injury.

Example of a military training accident claim

During an obstacle course exercise, a service member might suffer a serious spinal injury following a fall from height. If the obstacle was unsafe, not risk assessed properly or appropriate safety measures weren’t taken, then there may be grounds for a military training accident claim. We would investigate whether the risks should have been identified and whether reasonable steps were taken which could have prevented the accident.

Related military exposure claims we can support with

Expertise you can trust

9/10 clients would recommend us
Armed Forces Covenant signatories
Catterick based team, close to the Garrison

What compensation can help with

military serviceman in camouflage holding weapon.

Recovering lost income and covering future care.

We have great respect for the armed forces, and we understand just how devastating it can be to suffer a serious injury during service. Your claim can also take account of the effect on your career and earnings. An injury may lead to medical downgrading, restricted duties, delayed progression or medical discharge. It may also affect the civilian work you can do after leaving the Armed Forces. We can consider past and future loss of earnings, pension implications and other financial losses where they form part of your claim.

Recovery and rehabilitation is often at the forefront of your claim. This could include:

Physiotherapy
Specialist rehabilitation
Prosthetics
Neurological rehabilitation
Psychological treatment
Other therapies that support your recovery and independence
Cost of care and mobility aids
Specialist equipment
Transport and adaptations to your home

Understanding the potential value

The value of a military claim depends on your individual circumstances, including the severity of your injury, your recovery and prognosis, the effect on your career, rehabilitation and care needs, and other financial losses. We’ll build the claim around the evidence and the real impact of the injury on your life, rather than relying on a generic compensation figure.

Where an injury changes your independence, compensation may help meet the cost of care, mobility aids, specialist equipment, transport or adaptations to your home. It can also reflect psychological injuries and the practical impact on your family, including additional care or travel needs.

Understanding interim payments

In some claims, it may be possible to secure interim payments before the final settlement. We understand that the impact of a serious injury in service goes far beyond the physical complications, as is can affect your ability to work and earn a salary, whilst also adding strain and unnecessary pressure onto your loved ones. This can provide financial support while the case continues, for example to help fund rehabilitation, treatment, care or immediate financial pressures caused by being unable to work. Interim payments are not available in every case. We’ll explain whether they may be appropriate in your circumstances.

Specialist military training accident solicitors

Our specialist solicitors understand serious and life-changing injury, as well as the particular circumstances that can surround injuries during military service. We work closely with military personnel and their families, to secure holistic support to aid your recovery.
We take the time to understand your circumstances, listen to how your injury affects your mobility and independence, and explain your options in a way that feels manageable. Our focus is on securing support that reflects the full impact of what has happened - helping you access the rehabilitation, care and stability you need to move forward with confidence.

Why choose Fletchers for your military training accident claim?

If a military training accident has changed your health, career or independence, you need a legal team that looks beyond the claim itself. We combine serious injury expertise with practical rehabilitation and wellbeing support, helping to build a claim around what you may need to recover, rebuild and plan for the future.

Our serious injury team handles complex, high-value injury claims and works with medical, rehabilitation and other independent experts where needed. We can also help you consider the longer-term financial consequences of your injury, including care, treatment, lost earnings and future support.

Where your claim is suitable, we may be able to act under a No Win, No Fee agreement, subject to eligibility and terms.

Expertise you can rely on

Catterick-based team, just a few minutes from the Garrison
Almost 40 years of success representing people with serious injuries
Ranked by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners
APIL-accredited solicitors within our serious injury team
Armed Forces Covenant signatories
Experience handling complex, high-value and catastrophic injury claims
Close working relationships with medical, care and rehabilitation specialists
Work with military charities (ABF for example)
Free initial consultation with no obligation
No Win, No Fee funding may be available, subject to eligibility and terms

You're not alone

We know the hardship this has caused.

A military training injury can affect more than your physical abilities. It can disrupt the career you worked for and leave you uncertain about the future you had planned.

You may be dealing with medical downgrading, or the possibility of medical discharge. For some people, the change in role and routine can also affect confidence, identity and mental wellbeing.

The impact can reach your family too. A partner or relative may take on caring responsibilities, help with travel or appointments, or face their own uncertainty about work, finances and what happens next.

Whatever your circumstances, you don’t have to work out what comes next on your own. We’ll listen to what has changed, explain your legal options clearly and help you consider the practical support that may make a difference.

Happy amputee doing exercises for upper body strength on exercise machine at gym.

Rehabilitation support

We go beyond legal advice to support you, not just your case, making sure the right care and practical help are in place throughout the compensation claim process.

A message from our Rehabilitation and Wellbeing Team

We work alongside Fletchers Solicitors’ legal experts – listening carefully to your needs, helping you understand what support is available and creating a personalised recovery plan.

Led by rehabilitation manager Julie Chorlton, we bring together expertise across healthcare, therapy and welfare support, and can help arrange access to treatment and financial support. We also work with accredited mental health professionals, giving you and your family access to counselling quickly.

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FAQs about military training accident claims

Can I make a military training accident claim if I’m still serving?

Yes. Being a serving member of His Majesty’s Armed Forces does not prevent you from bringing a civil personal injury claim. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme also covers eligible serving personnel. We can explain the different routes and what may apply to you.

Can I claim after leaving the Armed Forces?

Yes, depending on the circumstances and the relevant time limits. Former service personnel can bring civil claims where the legal requirements are met. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme also covers former personnel for service-related injury, illness or death on or after 6 April 2005.

Will making a military training accident claim affect my military career?

A civil claim is a legal process for seeking compensation where negligence caused injury and should not effect your career progression.

Can I claim if I was partly responsible for what happened?

Potentially, yes. Being partly responsible does not automatically prevent a civil claim. In some cases, compensation may be reduced to reflect your share of responsibility. We can review the evidence and explain how this could affect your claim.

Can I claim if nobody else was directly responsible for the accident?

Possibly. Negligence does not always mean one individual directly caused the accident. A claim may involve failures in planning, risk assessment, supervision, training, equipment, protective equipment or the systems used to keep personnel reasonably safe.

Can I claim for psychological injuries caused by a military training accident?

Yes, where the legal requirements are met. A serious training accident can have psychological as well as physical consequences. Medical evidence can help establish the nature of the psychological injury, how it affects you and what treatment or support you may need.

Can I claim for an injury caused by defective military equipment?

Potentially. If unsafe, defective equipment contributed to your injury, this may form part of a civil claim. This can include training equipment and, depending on the circumstances, protective equipment supplied for an exercise.

What evidence might be needed for a military training accident claim?

The evidence will depend on what happened. It may include medical records, accident or incident reports, training orders, risk assessments, equipment records, photographs, witness evidence and information about your duties and the exercise. Evidence about lost earnings, pension impact, rehabilitation, care and other financial losses may also be needed.

Who will a military training accident claim actually be made against?

In many cases involving negligence during military service, the civil claim will be brought against the Ministry of Defence rather than against an individual colleague or commanding officer personally. We will identify the correct defendant after reviewing the circumstances.

How much military training accident compensation could I receive?

There is no fixed amount. Compensation depends on the injury and its effect on your life. Relevant factors can include pain and suffering, recovery and prognosis, treatment and rehabilitation, care needs, loss of earnings, pension or career impact, equipment, adaptations and other financial losses. We will explain how your claim may be valued once we understand the evidence.

How long does a military training accident claim take?

There is no standard timescale. A straightforward claim may resolve sooner than a complex serious injury case. Where the long-term effects of an injury are still developing, more time may be needed to understand your prognosis, rehabilitation and future needs. We will keep you updated and explain what is happening at each stage.

Can the victim’s family make a claim if a military training accident was fatal?

Potentially, yes. Where a fatal military training accident was caused by negligence, certain family members or the estate may be able to bring a civil claim. The AFCS can also provide compensation for eligible service-related deaths. Because the rules depend on the circumstances and the relationship to the person who died, specialist advice is important.

My goal is simple – to give a voice to those who have served their country and help them secure accountability, recognition and fair compensation when they have suffered avoidable harm.

Steven Horsley