An army squadron commander who claims he was left 'super-sensitive' to the cold after not being given warm mittens during winter training exercises is suing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for over £200,000.
The Incident
Darren Stoddart, a Tactical Commander in the Light Dragoons, said he suffered a 'mild freezing cold injury' after prolonged exposure to the cold between February and March 2022 during a six-week training exercise on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. The 40-year-old was acting as a 'vehicle commander' at the time, giving training to his squadron when his hands became increasingly cold while driving and he 'developed a feeling like [his hands] had thousands of tiny cuts all over them.'
The Legal Claim
Mr Stoddart, from Hartlepool, is suing the MoD over claims his superiors failed to issue him warm 'mittens', leaving him to instead use 'standard issue' army kit gloves which caused an incurable medical condition and damaged his military career. Thomas Banks, Mr Stoddart's lawyer, explained the case history in documents lodged with London's High Court. He said Mr Stoddart lost 'all dexterity in his fingers' due to the training.
Details of the Training
Mr Banks said: 'The claimant spent the first stages of the exercise conducting tactical training with his squadron from his vehicle. The vehicles were 'open-architecture' vehicles which meant they had no cover from the elements. He became wet and cold from the inclement conditions, which was made worse because he often had to drive around the training area in an open vehicle in wet clothing. His hands, in particular, got wet and cold.'
Towards the end of the exercise, his squadron conducted a simulated attack in torrential rain. He added: 'He became soaking wet, but immediately had to drive to a distant part of the training area. He was travelling at speed and exposed to the elements and the wind-chill from driving in an open vehicle. His hands became cold and numb and he lost all dexterity in his fingers. When he was eventually able to rewarm his hands, they developed a feeling like he had thousands of tiny cuts all over them and the pain kept him awake at night.'
The Aftermath
Mr Stoddart is now suing the MoD for negligence, claiming over £200,000 for his lasting ailments caused by the cold. He said the weather on the training course was unusually wet and cold, and despite this, no warning was issued to participants to take extra weather precautions. Instead, he was given a 'standard issue kit,' including regular gloves he claims were 'ineffective in cold weather'. In court, his barrister said: 'They soaked up water and provided little or no thermal protection. He was not issued with mittens, despite these being in use by the British Army at the material time.'
According to court documents, Mr Stoddart experienced a lack of dexterity in his hands toward the latter end of the training exercise, and after returning to normal duties his symptoms did not subside. This left him 'hypersensitive to heat' if his hands were in hot water and also to cold. Mr Stoddart, whose feet were also affected by the cold exposure, said his injuries have detrimentally affected his military career. He said it has delayed his promotion prospects because he has been medically downgraded, which is 'limiting his range of activities'.
Permanent Condition
Although his barrister said Mr Stoddart has achieved a 'degree of recovery', he remains 'cold sensitised and will have to avoid working in an uncontrolled cold environment'. He said: 'He will also have to wear appropriate PPE when at a risk. There is no treatment and the condition is permanent, and needs to be managed by lifestyle choices.'
He added that Mr Stoddart's superiors should have been proactive in safeguarding troops from non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) exposure due to the known risks. He referenced a series of military documents, which he said demonstrated Mr Stoddart's superiors should have been on notice about such hazards, including the 2016 'Joint Service Publication' which issued guidance on 'preventing soldiers from developing NFCI'. The guidance says each year injuries and deaths occur among service personnel because of cold exposure, and stressed the importance of risk assessment and wearing appropriate clothes. It also states that 'a spare pair of mittens should always be carried as cold and wet handwear contribute to cold injuries'.
Response
The MoD's defence to the action was not available from the court at the time of writing. The MoD has been contacted for comment.
