Pay-out for Catterick Garrison helicopter plunge soldiers (From York Press)

Pay-out for Catterick Garrison helicopter plunge soldiers

9:42am Wednesday 27th October 2010 in News

THREE soldiers injured in a fatal helicopter crash in North Yorkshire have won their legal fight for compensation from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The soldiers could get up to £300,000 each for injury, loss and damage following the incident in Hudswell Grange, near Catterick Garrison, in August 2007.

Christopher Hamilton, John Falconer and Dahrll Duncan, all from Scotland, were forced to leave the Army on medical grounds.

Flight Lieutenant David Sale, 28, from Norton, near Stockton, died in the incident, along with Sergeant Philip Burfoot, 27, and 17- year-old Army trainee Private Sean Tait.

Nine other military personnel were injured when the £20 million Puma plummeted to the ground.

Mr Hamilton, 19, of Kirkcaldy, Fife, fractured his shoulder and broke his foot, while Mr Falconer, 21, of Buckhaven, also Fife, dislocated his shoulder, suffered stomach cuts and a serious head injury.

Mr Duncan, 19, of Turriff, Aberdeenshire, broke his back.

He was also concussed, suffered multiple jaw fractures, a dislocated hip and lost several teeth.

Richard Watts, from London-based Seth Lovis and Co solicitors, which represents the three soldiers, said: “Liability has finally been accepted by the MoD. We will not know the level of damages until the orthopaedic, psychological and other assessments have been carried out.”

Mr Watts said the soldiers had begun receiving treatment, which he expected the MoD to pay for.

Mr Hamilton’s mother, June, 54, welcomed the MoD’s acceptance of liability.

She said: “It has been three years since the crash and it’s difficult to describe how much this has affected Christopher, John, Dahrll and all of the families involved.”

An inquest held last year found the pilot was attempting a manoeuvre beyond his capabilities.