Wounded Afghanistan Vet to sue Ministry of Defense

August 2, 2009

'My life is ruined and MoD has deserted me'
Steven Swinford
Lance-Corporal Ryan Knight, 23, was badly injured in Helmand Province and now plans to sue the minstry for negligence

A SOLDIER who was offered less than £14,500 compensation for being crippled by a Taliban bomb that killed his two best friends is planning to sue the Ministry of Defence.

Lance-Corporal Ryan Knight, 23, was left with a shattered pelvis after his Land Rover hit two mines in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in September 2007. Today he struggles to walk unaided and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Knight, a combat medic, decided to speak out for the first time after The Sunday Times highlighted the inequity of the armed forces compensation scheme last weekend.

His case will intensify the pressure for an overhaul of the scheme. Last week the government announced it was bringing forward a review, but ignored calls by the former prime minister Sir John Major and the Royal British Legion (RBL) for it to be conducted by an independent panel.
read more here
My life is ruined and MoD has deserted me