Military service is one of the more selfless acts an individual can perform with respect to their country – a truth which acknowledges the profound challenges associated with active duty, but which doesn’t fully acknowledge the many complex mechanisms driving different decisions to enlist. With the prospect of National Service having once again been brought into the public sphere, more of us are having to reckon with the possibility of serving in our own way.
Whether a prospective member of the military, or a present one, the prospect of injury is a real one. Active service puts frontline and support personnel alike in dangerous situations, with potentially life-changing consequences. From injury to rehabilitation, what is the process for handling an injury in the military?
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Wherever an injury is suffered, immediate medical attention is naturally a necessity. In the field, medics will tend to your injuries enough to get you off the frontline and into a proper medical facility; outside of the frontline, there will be more immediate access to good healthcare facilities. You should do everything in your power to agitate for better treatment if you feel your injury isn’t being taken seriously enough.
Document Everything
Detailed records are always extremely useful to have to hand, and every lucid moment you have in the immediate aftermath of an injurious event should be spent gathering whatever evidence and information you can find. This may take the form of eyewitness testimony, field reports, CCTV if available, and medical information pertaining to your injuries. This information is particularly important for what comes next.
Consult a Lawyer
It is an unfortunate fact that the UK’s military services are not always dependable when it comes to managing an injury and its results. Indeed, the military may well be liable for the life-changing impacts you have suffered, beyond the initial payments you could receive through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
As such, your next move should be to engage an experienced legal professional to hear your case. Be sure to bring the evidence you procured with you, and do your best to summarise an order of events that generally describes your experience. From here, military solicitors can evaluate whether or not you have a case, and potentially find you further compensation for your experience.
Access Support Networks
Rehabilitation after an injury is tough, and especially so in the event that your injuries have resulted in an honourable discharge. If you are no longer fit to serve, you can find yourself robbed of the very community that kept your spirits high to begin with.
This makes seeking out support especially important, your mental health being just as crucial as your physical health. Physiotherapy should be a regular appointment for you, but so too should be group sessions with injured veterans, to help you understand your complex feelings about your traumatic experience.
