Mod Pays £100k To Three Women Made To March At Same Speed Of Men

5th December 2013

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has paid three female recruits in the RAF £100,000 each in personal injury compensation after they claimed they developed work-related injuries when parading alongside male co-workers.

The women alleged that they had to march in time and step with their male colleagues, which caused them to over-stretch when striding. This, combined with the fact that they had to carry heavy bags while marching, caused them to develop pelvic and spinal injuries.

After a five-year legal battle, in which, according to the claimant’s solicitors, the MoD argued the women had been exaggerating their symptoms, the MoD agreed to make a personal injury claim settlement with its three former employees on August 7th. Details of this claim have only recently emerged.

Claiming Compensation Against The Ministry Of Defence

A spokesperson for the MoD said that the ministry considers compensation claims on the basis of its legal liabilities. When it is liable to pay out in a compensation claim, it does so.

Claimants’ settlements took the degree of the victim’s injuries, their pain, suffering, any property losses, the level of care and support they required and any future or past financial losses into account. The MoD representative confirmed that the organisation has also looked into its recruit training procedures to prevent similar injuries from happening again.

The claimants said that they had to make 30 inch strides when in basic training. Official policy now says that female recruits should now not be told to stride further than 27 inches.

Tracie Davies, who is 5ft 4, said she had to march alongside 6ft-tall men. She told the Mail on Sunday that she joined the MoD to become an air traffic controller when she was 22 in January 06, but developed four pelvic fractures. These did not recover properly and she was discharged for medical reasons in 2008.

She said that she had to complete assault courses and marches even though her job was office-based, and that after three weeks of working she was “in agony” and needed help getting dressed.

Fortunately, she has recovered from her injuries, and said the RAF was to blame for this health problem because it failed to account for the physical differences between men and women.

Gender Sensitivity And Workplace Accident Compensation Claims

Many personal injuries can be caused by a lack of gender sensitivity in the workplace. Only providing personal protective equipment in one particular size, providing employees with workstations that are too small for them, and gender stereotyping when allocating workplace tasks can see people put in unnecessary danger and lead to trauma injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and a range of other health problems.

We at Clearwater Solicitors specialise in personal injury claims, and can give you the specialist representation you need to receive all the compensation you are entitled to. Call us on 08000 430 430 or fill in our online enquiry form to find out more.