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'Hero marine' is offered £161k | 'Hero marine' is offered £161k |
(20 minutes later) | |
A Royal Marine from Somerset who lost two limbs in Afghanistan has been offered £161,000 in compensation. | A Royal Marine from Somerset who lost two limbs in Afghanistan has been offered £161,000 in compensation. |
Ben McBean, 21, of 40 Commando, Taunton, also suffered scarring and nerve and skin damage in the landmine explosion in February. | Ben McBean, 21, of 40 Commando, Taunton, also suffered scarring and nerve and skin damage in the landmine explosion in February. |
Mr McBean was hailed "the real hero" by Prince Harry who flew back to the UK on the same flight. | Mr McBean was hailed "the real hero" by Prince Harry who flew back to the UK on the same flight. |
The offer is less than the current maximum £285,000 but could rise due to changes in MoD compensation policy. | |
A spokesman for the MoD said: "As part of the Service Personnel Command Paper published in July, we doubled the lump sum compensation for the most serious injuries to a new maximum level of £570,000. | |
"The paper is still under discussion but under the new scheme someone with Mr McBean's injuries would expect to see their compensation award rise to more than £275,000, in addition to their annual tax-free and index-linked income paid for life," he added. | |
The commando became a national hero after the explosion. He is one of the most prominent faces of the Help For Heroes charity, which raises money for injured war veterans. | The commando became a national hero after the explosion. He is one of the most prominent faces of the Help For Heroes charity, which raises money for injured war veterans. |