Former bomb disposal expert gets trauma payout (From Oxford Mail)

Former bomb disposal expert gets trauma payout

7:51pm Monday 23rd August 2010 in

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A FORMER Army bomb disposal expert from Oxfordshire has won a six-figure compensation settlement from the Ministry of Defence, his lawyers have said.

The ex-soldier, who cannot be named for security reasons, was suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder when he had a breakdown in 2004 that forced him to leave the Army.

He argued that he might not have had the breakdown had his condition been treated earlier.

An Army psychiatrist had tested him for the condition in 1998 and 1999 but he was cleared to continuing serving, even though he was also asked to appear in a training video about PTSD and its symptoms.

In 2004, just two weeks after he was formally diagnosed with the condition by a civilian consultant psychiatrist, he was involved in a car accident.

The Ministry of Defence at first argued that the ex-soldier had knowledge of his PTSD from the tests in 1998 and 1999, and that he could bring a claim only within three years of that.

But the case was eventually settled out of court for a six-figure sum, his legal team said.

The former soldier said: “I feel that treatment or at least monitoring may have prevented my eventual breakdown and I would have remained a valuable asset to the military.”

Two weeks ago former soldier Sam Weller, who helps service personnel with stress, accused the Army of sweeping mental illness under the table.

He said: “After what he did for Queen and country, and what he’s been through, it will be good for him and will help him get his life back.”