British Army Veteran Sues UK's Defense Ministry for $250,000 Over Cold Injury

Gershon Rawlings, originally from Ghana and a former member of the British Army, is suing the country's Ministry of Defense for £200,000 (close to $250,000), claiming medical negligence resulted in irreversible medical damage.

In his affidavit, Rawlings stated that during a two-week military exercise, he was forced to sleep in freezing conditions despite his body not being acclimated to such an environment. He displayed heightened sensitivity to the severe field conditions more than other soldiers.

Rawlings further claims that after the exercise, he struggled to regain his footing and suffered severe cold injuries that left permanent marks on his body, ultimately leading to his early discharge from the army. His lawyers argued that the extreme cold injuries he suffered were due to a 'sudden' and severe chill, which could have been avoided if the army had been 'one step ahead' by providing him with suitable warm clothing and hot meals to help cope with the harsh cold conditions in the field.

In response to the lawsuit, the British Ministry of Defense admitted that Rawlings did indeed suffer cold injuries caused by a sudden chill, but demands he provide proof that such injuries severely impacted his daily functioning, such as finding and holding suitable employment for an extended period.