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Britain embarrassed as USA pays compensation to nuclear test victim’s widow

Her victory is an embarrassment for the MoD, which has battled for decades to avoid paying money to nuclear test veterans and their families. She condemned the MoD’s behaviour as “shameful” – a criticism echoed by a Conservative MP.

Widow of British nuclear test veteran awarded $75,000 by US Department of Justice pays compensation to wife of British airman who witnessed US tests after Ministry of Defence had refused to accept radiation led to his fatal throat cancer Rob Edwards The Observer, Sunday 31 October 2010

The widow of a British airman contaminated by flying through a radioactive mushroom cloud has won compensation in the US, despite being denied payments in the UK.

Pat Spackman has been awarded $75,000 (£47,000) by the US Department of Justice after her husband, Derek, died from throat cancer. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had previously refused her a war widow’s pension, claiming that his death could not be blamed on the contamination.

Her victory is an embarrassment for the MoD, which has battled for decades to avoid paying money to nuclear test veterans and their families. She condemned the MoD’s behaviour as “shameful” – a criticism echoed by a Conservative MP.

The MoD has spent more than £4m trying to block legal claims from more than a thousand test veterans and their relatives. Cases are currently before a tribunal and the high court in London……..

Widow of British nuclear test veteran awarded $75,000 by US | UK news | The Observer

October 31, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, UK | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, radiation