SAVE OUR SOLES
Soldiers told ‘Wear thicker socks’ over cold feet compo bill
A MILITARY boss says troops should wear thicker socks as more than £100million has been paid out to soldiers who have suffered from “cold feet”.
Almost 2,000 personnel have sued the Ministry of Defence in the past eight years after developing trench foot.
One soldier got £800,000 when he launched a negligence lawsuit against the MoD over the condition – more than troops who lose both arms and legs.
Officially called Non-Freezing Cold Injury, trench foot causes acute chronic pain and can end military careers.
But one boss suggested soldiers should just wear “thicker socks”.
The senior defence chief last night told the Daily Star Sunday: “I don’t want to sound flippant but these types of injuries are clearly preventable.
“It would seem that the solution to this very costly problem is for troops that suffer from cold feet to wear thicker socks.”
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show £60m has been awarded to serving and former soldiers. The MoD has also paid out more than
£40m in legal costs for cases between
2012 and 2019, when the latest figures are available.
The unnamed veteran awarded £800k suffered painful feet after plunging waist-deep in icy water during a 2012 night exercise. Despite complaining to senior colleagues about being cold during the three-hour patrol, he and others were told to “wind your neck in” and ordered to “crack on”.
In another case, a soldier suffered cold injuries to all four limbs. He was medically discharged but was unable to work or leave his house.
The £800k payout dwarfs the £570k awarded for the most horrific wounds or combination of injuries, such as the loss of both legs and arms. Under the
MoD’s Armed Forces Compensation scheme, soldiers get just £27,000 if they lose both index fingers in battle.
They are paid £10,000 if they get shot in the chest and £6,000 for low-level post-traumatic stress disorder.
Another soldier who lost 50% of his hearing while fighting in Afghanistan was discharged from the Army with just £6,000 compensation.
Many of those who won payouts for Non-Freezing Cold Injury hired lawyers who proved they did not receive the proper equipment or training.
But the MoD said: “We have a range of training initiatives to educate personnel about cold weather injury prevention alongside the provision of thermal clothing and appropriate footwear protection to all personnel who require it.”
Trench foot first became well known in World War One, when soldiers fought in cold, wet conditions in trenches without extra socks or boots to help keep their feet dry.