Life-changing non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) finally reaches settlement

Our client, Frank (name changed for privacy purposes) served between December 1994 and December 2007, rising through the ranks in the Royal Artillery to become a Sergeant. During his service, he was deployed to Bosnia between 1997 and 1998, where he was repeatedly exposed to severe cold, heavy rain and snow.

While carrying out extended periods of work, he would spend up to two weeks at a time sleeping outdoors in makeshift shelters attached to AS-90 armoured artillery vehicles. His uniform and boots were frequently soaked through and remained wet for prolonged periods. With a broken heating system inside the vehicle and not being issued with specialist cold weather boots, being cold and wet became the norm.

Describing the onset of his symptoms, Frank said: “Around November or December of 1997, I first noticed the symptoms to my feet. I noticed that my feet were frozen cold. They were also numb. I did not think anything of it at the time.”

Despite continuing symptoms, he carried on serving through further deployments and training exercises in Germany, Bosnia and Iraq, believing the numbness and cold sensations were simply part of military life.

He said: “I continued to experience my symptoms after Bosnia, but I shrugged it off and carried on. It did not cross my mind that it was serious.”

Over time, Frank’s condition worsened significantly. He developed permanent cold sensitivity, numbness, sweating, tingling and pain in his feet, together with circulatory symptoms affecting his hands.

Frank’s wife recalls the impact the injury was already having during his service at this time.

She said: “He first started to mention that his feet were always cold and he couldn’t warm them up. He also would complain when he came home from a run that it felt like he was running on stilts. I recall him bringing his soaking wet uniform back to me between exercises because there were inadequate washing and drying facilities on the base, and he didn’t want to go out on the next exercise with soaking wet kit.”

Several years later, army medical staff identified signs consistent with NFCI and referred him to the Institute of Naval Medicine in Gosport. He was diagnosed with a cold injury to both feet. The seriousness of his condition came as a shock to Frank who didn’t realise the extent to his injuries.

Medical specialists warned him that continuing military service could result in further deterioration and possible amputation of his toes. Frank was therefore prevented from deploying to Iraq again and was medically discharged from service in December 2007.

The discharge brought an abrupt end to a highly promising military career. Before his injury, Frank had progressed rapidly through the ranks and had ambitions to become a Regimental Sergeant Major and potentially a Late Entry Captain.

He said “But for the injury, I would not have left the military at that stage. I loved being in the Army and wanted to stay in for my whole career. Ideally, I would still be in the Army now.”

Following his discharge, Frank’s career options became severely restricted because of his condition. His wife explained: “When he first left service, I can recall going through work options. He was interested in the Fire Service so he went to speak to the Station Master who explained to him that there was little point in applying as he wouldn’t pass the medical.”

“His new job is not something I ever pictured him doing. He likes to be active and outdoors but with his current job he is stuck indoors and is usually office based. His job is to pay the bills; I don’t think he gets any enjoyment out of it.”

Frank instructed the expert military team at Hugh James to pursue a personal injury claim. Liability issues, including breach of duty, limitation and contributory negligence, were resolved between the parties on a 70/30 basis in favour of the claimant.

The case ultimately settled at a Joint Settlement Meeting for £590,000 in April 2026.

Frank continues to live with the long-term effects of NFCI and must carefully manage his condition to avoid further injury. His feet remain persistently cold and unusually sweaty, requiring him to change his socks multiple times a day to prevent symptoms worsening. When exposed to colder temperatures, he experiences painful numbness, pins and needles and aching which can last for hours while his feet slowly rewarm.

The injury continues to affect almost every aspect of his daily life, including his hobbies and family life. A keen cyclist and member of a shooting syndicate, he now must carefully plan activities around the weather and has invested in specialist footwear, insulated socks and boot liners to manage his symptoms.

Cold weather also limits the time he can spend outdoors with his grandson. He continues to suffer disturbed sleep due to poor circulation and discomfort in his feet and remains conscious that further cold exposure could permanently worsen his condition.

Catrin Spees, Senior Associate in our Military team acted for the claimant and said:

It was a real privilege to work with Frank and his wife throughout his claim. Frank dedicated his career to the military, and the impact of losing that career was understandably devastating for him and his family. I worked closely with them to present his case to the Ministry of Defence and secure the compensation he deserved. While no amount of compensation can truly make up for the opportunities Frank has lost, I hope it will provide some reassurance and help give him and his family a more comfortable future.