Combat Stress & PTSD Claims.

Yes — post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric conditions caused by military service can give rise to compensation claims against the MoD, as well as claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. A civil negligence claim requires showing that the MoD breached its duty of care — for example, by exposing personnel to foreseeable psychiatric risk without adequate support, failing to recognise and treat symptoms during service, or failing to provide adequate care on discharge. Psychiatric injury claims are legally and medically complex, but they are well-established in military compensation law. Many veterans with PTSD assume their condition is something they must simply live with — understanding that compensation may be available is the first step.

Yes — claims can arise not only from the events that caused the PTSD but also from the MoD's failure to diagnose and treat psychiatric injury during service, or its failure to ensure veterans have access to adequate care on discharge. Where a veteran's condition was made significantly worse by the MoD's failure to recognise and treat it — or by inadequate transition support — that additional harm may be compensable. These claims are distinct from the primary PTSD claim and require evidence of what care was or was not provided, what the standard of care required, and how the failure affected the claimant's condition and prognosis. They are a growing area of military psychiatric injury litigation and require specialist legal and medical advice.

Yes — having received treatment does not prevent a claim and does not mean your condition is not compensable. The fact that you sought and received treatment is evidence that the condition is real and significant. In Wales, Veterans NHS Wales provides specialist mental health support for veterans — and in England, Op COURAGE provides equivalent services. The cost of treatment already received, and ongoing treatment costs, can be claimed as special damages. If private psychiatric treatment would provide better or faster outcomes than NHS provision, the cost of that treatment may also be claimable. Receiving state-funded treatment does not reduce your entitlement to compensation — it is evidence of the need for treatment, not a reason to exclude the cost from your claim.

Proving causation in a military PTSD claim requires establishing a clear link between specific service experiences and the psychiatric condition diagnosed. Key evidence includes: a diagnosis of PTSD or another psychiatric condition from a psychiatrist or psychologist; a psychiatric expert report establishing the causal link between the service experiences and the condition, and assessing its severity and prognosis; service records showing the relevant postings, deployments, and incidents; evidence of the events that caused the trauma — including operational records, unit logs, or accounts from fellow service personnel; and any medical records from during or after service recording symptoms or treatment. Where symptoms were suppressed for years, the expert report must also address why the condition was not recognised or treated earlier.

The limitation period for a psychiatric injury claim is three years from the date of knowledge — when the claimant first knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that they had suffered a significant psychiatric injury attributable to their service. In PTSD cases this is particularly important: many veterans suppress symptoms for years, self-medicate, or attribute their difficulties to personal failings rather than a recognised medical condition. The date of knowledge is often the date of formal diagnosis — not the date of the traumatic events. The court also has discretion under section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980 to allow late claims where it is equitable to do so, taking account of why the claim was delayed. Veterans who believe they may be out of time should take legal advice before assuming their claim is lost.

Compensation in a civil negligence claim for military PTSD covers: general damages for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity — assessed using the Judicial College Guidelines for psychiatric conditions, which range from a few thousand pounds for minor conditions to over £100,000 for the most severe cases; and special damages for financial losses, including loss of earnings or earning capacity, cost of psychiatric treatment, care costs, and other losses flowing from the condition. Where PTSD has ended or severely curtailed a military or civilian career, the loss of earnings element can be very substantial. There is no cap on civil damages. The AFCS provides a separate tariff-based award which is typically lower than civil damages for significant PTSD — both routes should be considered together.

The MoD owes a duty of care to service personnel to take reasonable steps to protect them from foreseeable psychiatric harm. This includes: not exposing personnel to foreseeable psychiatric risk beyond what is inherent in military service without appropriate support and preparation; providing adequate mental health support during and after deployments; recognising and treating symptoms of psychiatric injury when they become apparent during service; and managing the transition from service in a way that does not leave veterans without access to appropriate care. The duty has been recognised and developed through litigation. It does not mean the MoD is liable for every case of PTSD — the question is whether it took reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable psychiatric harm in the circumstances.

The core evidence for a military PTSD claim is a psychiatric expert report — from a psychiatrist with experience of military personnel — establishing the diagnosis, the causal link to service, the severity of the condition, and the prognosis. Supporting evidence includes: service records documenting relevant postings, deployments, and incidents; operational records and contemporaneous accounts of the events that caused the trauma; any medical records from during or after service; evidence of how the condition has affected work, relationships, and daily life; and in employment-related claims, earnings evidence to support the loss of earnings calculation. Where symptoms were not recognised at the time, a retrospective expert account explaining the delayed presentation is important. The quality of the psychiatric expert evidence is often the most significant factor in the outcome.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a recognised psychiatric condition that can develop following exposure to traumatic events — in a military context, this includes combat, witnessing death or serious injury, handling human remains, being involved in serious accidents, or experiencing sexual assault during service. PTSD is diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist using established diagnostic criteria — the ICD-11 or DSM-5 frameworks. Core symptoms include intrusive re-experiencing of the traumatic event (flashbacks, nightmares), avoidance of reminders, hyperarousal (being constantly on edge), and negative changes in mood and thinking. In a military context, diagnosis can be complicated by the stigma that historically surrounded mental health conditions in the armed forces, which led many veterans to suppress or conceal symptoms for years.

The AFCS provides a no-fault tariff payment for PTSD and other psychiatric conditions caused by service — the amount depends on the severity of the condition as assessed against the tariff levels. A civil negligence claim requires proof that the MoD breached its duty of care and that the breach caused the psychiatric injury — but compensates actual loss without a cap. For significant PTSD causing career-ending disability and long-term loss of earnings, a civil negligence claim typically recovers substantially more than an AFCS award. The two routes are not mutually exclusive — AFCS payments received are taken into account in calculating civil damages. Veterans should consider both routes with specialist legal advice rather than accepting an AFCS award as the final word on their entitlement.

Pursuing a legal claim for PTSD can be stressful and the process takes time — accessing support throughout is important. In Wales, Veterans NHS Wales provides specialist mental health services for veterans and their families. Combat Stress is a national charity providing mental health treatment specifically for veterans. The Royal British Legion and SSAFA provide welfare support and can assist with practical matters. The Veterans' Gateway is a single point of contact connecting veterans to the support they need. Accessing treatment and support during the claims process is not only important for your wellbeing — it also demonstrates the ongoing impact of your condition, which is relevant to the damages calculation. A specialist solicitor will work at a pace that takes your mental health into account.

A wide range of service experiences can give rise to PTSD or other psychiatric injury claims, including: combat deployments involving exposure to death, injury, or extreme violence; humanitarian operations involving exposure to mass casualties or atrocities; training accidents involving serious injury or death; sexual assault or harassment during service; exposure to traumatic events as part of specialist roles — such as handling human remains, working in emergency response, or intelligence roles involving distressing material; and the cumulative effect of multiple deployments without adequate decompression or support. Claims can also arise where the MoD failed to take steps to prevent or treat psychiatric injury that was foreseeable — for example, failing to screen personnel before or after high-risk deployments.