Hundreds of veterans have settled with the Ministry of Defence (Image: Getty)
The Ministry of Defence has reached an out-of-court settlement with hundreds of traumatised veterans after a gruelling nine-year fight over a controversial antimalarial drug. Lariam, which was given to British troops overseas, has been linked to hallucinations, nightmares, mental breakdowns and suicides.
The overall compensation bill for the class action by 450 former service personnel is understood to be around ￡20 million. Hilary Meredith-Beckham, chair of Hilary Meredith Solicitor who represented the group, said: “After a 9-year legal battle and some very dark moments along the way, I am delighted to confirm that this landmark legal action has now settled out of court.”
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
Read More
Undo
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Veterans feeling 'let down' as Afghans prioritised for housing over former soldiers
Afghan asylum scandal is moral disaster - three things we now owe those allies
Vladimir Putin will invade a NATO ally leaving UK facing 'a potential nuclear nightmare'
Victims of catastrophic Afghan data breach can 'expect compensation in the thousands'
Contractors from Pinnacle Group commended for exceptional support to Afghan families in UK
Inside the secret mission to rescue Britain's Afghan allies
Details of more than 100 British people included in massive Afghan data breach
Afghan migrant ‘brought 22 relatives to the UK' amid military data breach fury
Labour's ￡3bn plan to move science labs from UK village 'a hammer blow' to locals
David Lammy's suffering shows an important lesson we all must learn
POLL: Is Trump right about Sadiq Khan? President hits out at 'nasty' London Mayor
Wes Streeting braces for more strikes as top union finds 89% of members reject pay offer
Nigel Farage LIVE: Reform chief brands Labour minister 'disgusting' in press conference
Rachel Reeves hammerblow as IMF says economy will flatline for next two years
Undo
Afghan data leak is once-in-a-generation scandal - one minister must apologise
End witch hunt to learn from Afghan data debacle
15 Worst Breakfast FoodsHealth Natural |
Click Here
Undo
Fury as Labour sending British farming 'to the slaughterhouse' with cruel new move
Thousands of Afghan data breach victims won't get any compensation
Breakfast: 15 Foods Never To Eat In The MorningHealth Natural |
Click Here
Undo
Army vet claims he lost family home to make way for wave of secret Afghan migrants
Labour's 'full-blown assault on rural Britain' slammed amid Reeves's inheritance tax raid
临演女儿遭12人性侵后去世 母上电视讨公道：警察杀人《联合早报》 |
Undo
Veterans feeling 'let down' as Afghans prioritised for housing over former soldiers
Afghan asylum scandal is moral disaster - three things we now owe those allies
Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted.planetcapture.io |
Undo
Vladimir Putin will invade a NATO ally leaving UK facing 'a potential nuclear nightmare'
Victims of catastrophic Afghan data breach can 'expect compensation in the thousands'
This Powerful AC Cooler Uses Almost No Power and Cools in Minutesdailygadgetreviews |
Undo
Contractors from Pinnacle Group commended for exceptional support to Afghan families in UK
Inside the secret mission to rescue Britain's Afghan allies
Are you ready to conquer a planet?planetcapture.io |
Undo
Details of more than 100 British people included in massive Afghan data breach
Afghan migrant ‘brought 22 relatives to the UK' amid military data breach fury
2025 Insights on Affordable Unsold Furniture Deals in SingaporeSofas | Search Ads |
Search Now
Undo
Labour's ￡3bn plan to move science labs from UK village 'a hammer blow' to locals
David Lammy's suffering shows an important lesson we all must learn
What being the People's Bank meansPOSB Bank |
Learn More
Undo
POLL: Is Trump right about Sadiq Khan? President hits out at 'nasty' London Mayor
Wes Streeting braces for more strikes as top union finds 89% of members reject pay offer
Dolly Parton's No-Makeup Photos Confirm What We Knew All Alonglilmariogame |
Undo
Nigel Farage LIVE: Reform chief brands Labour minister 'disgusting' in press conference
Rachel Reeves hammerblow as IMF says economy will flatline for next two years
Afghan data leak is once-in-a-generation scandal - one minister must apologise
End witch hunt to learn from Afghan data debacle
Fury as Labour sending British farming 'to the slaughterhouse' with cruel new move
Thousands of Afghan data breach victims won't get any compensation
Army vet claims he lost family home to make way for wave of secret Afghan migrants
Labour's 'full-blown assault on rural Britain' slammed amid Reeves's inheritance tax raid
Veterans feeling 'let down' as Afghans prioritised for housing over former soldiers
Afghan asylum scandal is moral disaster - three things we now owe those allies
Vladimir Putin will invade a NATO ally leaving UK facing 'a potential nuclear nightmare'
Victims of catastrophic Afghan data breach can 'expect compensation in the thousands'
Contractors from Pinnacle Group commended for exceptional support to Afghan families in UK
Inside the secret mission to rescue Britain's Afghan allies
Details of more than 100 British people included in massive Afghan data breach
She added: “This case could have been settled within five years. It was complex involving the causal effects of the tablet on each individual soldier and in fairness we suffered the Covid years in the middle, but nine years is outrageous. “As well as our clients it is the taxpayer who pays the price when the defendant is a government body.
Read more: MOD launches investigation after further SAS details leaked online
Read more: MoD labelled 'ministry of deceit' as further 'cover ups' are alleged
“An insurer would have acted commercially, the government - mainly a Conservative government throughout this case - avoid, prevaricate, hide and delay. As a result, costs run into millions [of pounds].”
Powered By
00:00/00:40
10 Sec
18.4K
3
Peter Kyle quizzed on Starmer and Trump's meeting
Next
Stay
A minimum of 17,368 armed forces personnel were prescribed Lariam at least once between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2015, MoD figures suggested.
Sponsored
Husband designed this tiny cabin, wife laughed then fell silent wait till you see？
Undo
It is understood that the settlement includes “gagging clauses” which prevent some information from being made public.
During the litigation, Mrs Meredith-Beckham and her team uncovered that only 5% to 10% of all those who took Lariam actually had an entry in their records.
This means medics were often unaware that the psychotic behaviour they were treating was caused by the controversial anti-malarial drug.
Lariam was first licensed in 1989 and adopted by the UK military from 1991.
Side effects range from confusion to anxiety, nightmares, depression, hallucinations and suicide ideation.
Get the latest politics news straight to your phone Join us on WhatsAppOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Mrs Meredith-Beckham has called on the Government and MPs on the Defence Select Committee to revisit the original Lariam Inquiry.
She said: “We owe a duty to our armed forces to see that not only justice is done but that morally and ethically we are protecting them as they protect us.
“This legal action has settled and the right compensation has been paid but we still don’t know the full story. Powerful people in powerful positions have withheld the truth.
“Ultimately, the MoD didn’t want this case to play out in open court and their insistence on a gagging clause is very telling.”
An MOD spokesperson said: “The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the health and welfare of our personnel very seriously, taking every possible precaution to ensure their safety - including protecting them against Malaria, a potentially fatal disease.
“The majority of this case took place under the previous government. Litigation ended in October 2024 when the damages for over 400 claims in relation to the prescription of Lariam many years ago were settled, avoiding a costly and time-consuming trial.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Veterans feeling 'let down' as Afghans prioritised for housing over former soldiers
Afghan asylum scandal is moral disaster - three things we now owe those allies
Vladimir Putin will invade a NATO ally leaving UK facing 'a potential nuclear nightmare'
Victims of catastrophic Afghan data breach can 'expect compensation in the thousands'
Contractors from Pinnacle Group commended for exceptional support to Afghan families in UK
Inside the secret mission to rescue Britain's Afghan allies
Details of more than 100 British people included in massive Afghan data breach
Afghan migrant ‘brought 22 relatives to the UK' amid military data breach fury
Labour's ￡3bn plan to move science labs from UK village 'a hammer blow' to locals
David Lammy's suffering shows an important lesson we all must learn
POLL: Is Trump right about Sadiq Khan? President hits out at 'nasty' London Mayor
Wes Streeting braces for more strikes as top union finds 89% of members reject pay offer
Nigel Farage LIVE: Reform chief brands Labour minister 'disgusting' in press conference
Rachel Reeves hammerblow as IMF says economy will flatline for next two years
Do you have a mouse? Play this for 1 minute and see why everyone is crazy about it.Panzer.Quest |
Play Game
Undo
Afghan data leak is once-in-a-generation scandal - one minister must apologise
End witch hunt to learn from Afghan data debacle
At 35, Taylor Swift Moves To This Modest House, See InsideLittle Fries |
Undo
Fury as Labour sending British farming 'to the slaughterhouse' with cruel new move
Thousands of Afghan data breach victims won't get any compensation
No more thinning hair! This bestseller at Watsons works even in 40s-60sHair’s Rich |
Learn More
Undo
Army vet claims he lost family home to make way for wave of secret Afghan migrants
Labour's 'full-blown assault on rural Britain' slammed amid Reeves's inheritance tax raid
Looking for a soulmate!Wingtalks |
Read More
Undo
Veterans feeling 'let down' as Afghans prioritised for housing over former soldiers
Afghan asylum scandal is moral disaster - three things we now owe those allies
Shop Now
Undo
Vladimir Putin will invade a NATO ally leaving UK facing 'a potential nuclear nightmare'
Victims of catastrophic Afghan data breach can 'expect compensation in the thousands'
Meghan's mansion proves why she left, here's how it looks insideBuzzSuper |
Undo
Contractors from Pinnacle Group commended for exceptional support to Afghan families in UK
Inside the secret mission to rescue Britain's Afghan allies
Looking 10 years older from thinning hair! This Watsons find works wonders!Hair’s Rich |
Learn More
Undo
Details of more than 100 British people included in massive Afghan data breach
Afghan migrant ‘brought 22 relatives to the UK' amid military data breach fury
Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription!Techno Mag |
Learn More
Undo
Labour's ￡3bn plan to move science labs from UK village 'a hammer blow' to locals
David Lammy's suffering shows an important lesson we all must learn
Singapore: Meal Delivery for Seniors - Prices May Surprise YouMeal Delivery | Search Ads |
Search Now
Undo
POLL: Is Trump right about Sadiq Khan? President hits out at 'nasty' London Mayor
Wes Streeting braces for more strikes as top union finds 89% of members reject pay offer
Personal Cooling Just Got Smarter — And It Doesn’t Need Installationdailygadgetreviews |
Undo
Nigel Farage LIVE: Reform chief brands Labour minister 'disgusting' in press conference
Rachel Reeves hammerblow as IMF says economy will flatline for next two years
Afghan data leak is once-in-a-generation scandal - one minister must apologise
End witch hunt to learn from Afghan data debacle
Fury as Labour sending British farming 'to the slaughterhouse' with cruel new move
Thousands of Afghan data breach victims won't get any compensation
Army vet claims he lost family home to make way for wave of secret Afghan migrants
Labour's 'full-blown assault on rural Britain' slammed amid Reeves's inheritance tax raid
Veterans feeling 'let down' as Afghans prioritised for housing over former soldiers
Afghan asylum scandal is moral disaster - three things we now owe those allies
Vladimir Putin will invade a NATO ally leaving UK facing 'a potential nuclear nightmare'
Victims of catastrophic Afghan data breach can 'expect compensation in the thousands'
Contractors from Pinnacle Group commended for exceptional support to Afghan families in UK
Inside the secret mission to rescue Britain's Afghan allies
Details of more than 100 British people included in massive Afghan data breach
Do you have a mouse?Desert Order
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock YouReportingly
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Kate's New House Is Not What It Seems. Look At These Photo ProofsBuzzSuper
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
“As any legal professional knows, it is a usual feature of the settlement terms that both parties agree not to publicly disclose the damages awarded to claimants, and to suggest anything otherwise is disingenuous.”
The Samaritans can be reached round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If you need a response immediately, it's best to call them on the phone. You can reach them by calling 116 123, by emailing jo@samaritans.org.uk or by visiting www.samaritans.org.
Read Next
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy