A group of soldiers who were injured in Afghanistan in 2006 are to receive compensation payouts from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after an inquest heard that a series of blunders caused the incident.

Corporal Mark Wright, 27, was killed in the Helmand Province after he rescued a colleague in a mined area.

Lance Corporal Stuart Hale, 25, Sergeant Stuart Pearson, 32, and Fusilier Andy Barlow, 21, all lost limbs.

The soldiers and Corporal Wright’s family have launched legal action against the MoD, claiming that it was unsuitable to send helicopters into the area as it could set off further explosions.

Now, defence officials have agreed to a compensation package outside formal legal proceedings and each man is expected to receive upwards of £500,000 and possibly up to £1 million each for crippling injuries, mental trauma and loss of future earnings.

"This will help provide them with state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs as well as compensation for their injuries," said the men’s solicitor.
The MoD has the same obligations as any other employer to make sure that their employees have a safe environment to work in.

This includes proper training for all employees in equipment usage and general job requirements, suitable supervision and safe equipment.

Anyone who feels they have not been given this safe environment may be eligible for compensation.