￡375,000 補償（金） for 兵士 who saw 同僚 lose arm

By MATTHEW HICKLEY

Last updated at 00:16 17 November 2006

A British 兵士 has won a ground-breaking ￡375,000 補償（金）取引，協定 for 地位，任命する traumatic 強調する／ストレス disorder after seeing his friend's arm blown off by a 欠陥のあるロケット／急騰する during the 2003 Iraq 侵略.

The 兵士 was 深く，強烈に traumatised by the 事故 in which his friend was 論証するing a ロケット／急騰する発射台 to 同僚s in the 砂漠 behind the frontline, and 苦しむd horrific 傷害s when the 武器機能不全d and blew up.

合法的な専門家s 発言する／表明するd astonishment that the MOD chose to settle instead of relying on the defence of '戦場免疫', which 妨げるs them from 存在告訴するd over 傷害s 苦しむd in war zones.

Defence sources told the Mail the Army had 受託するd 義務／負債 because the 武器 was not 存在解雇する／砲火／射撃d in 戦闘 at the enemy at the time.

The 支払う／賃金-out 示すs a generous 解釈／通訳 of the 法律, 効果的に creating a bizarre 補償（金）（法などの）抜け穴 for 兵士s 負傷させるd away from the 即座の frontline even if they are only a few miles from the fighting.

But it also creates glaring differences in the way the 負傷させるd are 扱う／治療するd depending on how の近くに the enemy was - even if they 苦しむ類似の傷害s or mental 外傷／ショック.

The 悲劇の事故 happened on April 6 2003, the day that Iraqi 抵抗 in Basra city began to 崩壊する and British 軍隊／機動隊s 前進するd into the city.

Three UK 兵士s were killed in 活動／戦闘 that day - the last British 戦闘 fatalities of the 侵略.

But the 事故伴う／関わるing the ロケット／急騰する occurred some distance behind the frontline, the MOD said, as one 兵士 was 論証するing the Light Anti-Armour 武器, a shoulder 開始する，打ち上げるd anti-戦車／タンクミサイル system which is 近づくing the end of its service life.

As he 用意が出来ている the 武器 for 解雇する／砲火／射撃ing the ロケット／急騰する went off 未熟に, blowing off his arm. His friend standing nearby 治めるd first 援助（する）, and was 深く，強烈に traumatised by what he saw.

Both men have since left the Army and received 補償（金）. The MOD 辞退するd to say how much the 負傷させるd man received, but 合法的な専門家s 示唆するd his 解決／入植地 would 最高の，を越す half a million 続けざまに猛撃するs.

His friend has now received ￡375,000 after 宿泊するing a （人命などを）奪う，主張する for PTSD - the first such （人命などを）奪う，主張する arising from Iraq or Afghanistan.

Two other 兵士s who were 現在の have 宿泊するd 類似の（人命などを）奪う，主張するs, which have yet to be settled.

An MOD spokeswoman said: 'The 武器 was 欠陥のある and the ロケット／急騰する点火（する）d when it should not have done.

'The 兵士s were in Iraq but they were not 肉体的に engaging the enemy. It is on that basis that we 受託するd 義務／負債.'

Two thousand former servicemen brought PTSD （人命などを）奪う，主張するs against the MOD in 2002 but a High 法廷，裁判所裁判官 threw out all except four.

In his 裁判／判断 Mr 司法（官） Owen said the MOD could not be 推定する／予想するd to 供給する '安全な' working 条件s in 戦闘.

Crucially he said such 合法的な免疫 should be 適用するd '広範囲にわたって' and should cover 'planning and 準備' for fighting.

Solicitor 示す McGhee who specialises in 軍の PTSD 事例／患者s 発言する／表明するd astonishment over the MOD's 最新の補償（金）取引，協定 on which he said 'seems to 飛行機で行く in the 直面する' of the Owen 裁判／判断.

He said: '戦場免疫 is a useful defence for them but they've chosen not to use it.

'It 示唆するs they are now 用意が出来ている to define the '戦場' very 辛うじて and 支払う／賃金補償（金） for 出来事/事件s that happen away from the frontline.

'That is 潜在的に good news for some 未来犠牲者s.

'It is very hard on those who 苦しむ外傷／ショック in frontline 戦闘 and don't get the same 補償（金）, but then it's always been 堅い on them.'

Shaun Rusling of the 国家の湾退役軍人s 協会 said: 'I'm pleased these lads have been looked after, but the 事例／患者 begs real questions about different 支配するs for different people who are 負傷させるd in the same 戦う／戦い.

'I'm sure other 兵士s were 負傷させるd and traumatised that day in the actual fighting for Basra. The 法律 should be the same for all.'

He said the MOD was still often failing to follow its own 指導基準s on PTSD, and the 協会 was 現在／一般に helping 軍隊／機動隊s traumatised in Afghanistan over the summer and not receiving proper help.

大臣s have 認める more than 1,300 軍隊／機動隊s have developed mental illness after serving in Iraq.

The highest 軍の PTSD 支払う／賃金-out to date was ￡620,000 to former 兵士 Malcolm New, who was 手足を不自由にする／（物事を）損なうd by psychological problems after serving five 小旅行するs in Northern Ireland where he worked undercover and 証言，証人／目撃するd テロリスト残虐（行為）s, but received 不十分な care.