Children’s accident claims

Children are prone to injuries and illnesses but usually recover without any ill effects. But, unfortunately there are some children who sustain an injury which is so severe that it causes a permanent disability or even death.

There are rules and guidelines in place to ensure that our children are kept safe and free from harm but if any of these fail then the after effects can be devastating.

A nightmare situation for any parent is seeing their child become injured and as a result of negligence or a lack of duty of care. This causes untold distress for both the child and their family.

Most common types of children’s accidents

As a parent you know that your child will become injured sooner rather than later. Children are naturally boisterous and enjoy exploring their environment without any fear or awareness of the potential dangers.

Children are likely to become injured in the following places:

• At school
• At home
• On the roads
• Parks and playgrounds
• Fairs and theme parks
• School trips

And many other public places. There is no limit to the number of places where a child can become injured; this means that it is virtually impossible to protect them at all times from danger.

You expect your child to get the odd bump or scrape which is usually due to their own actions. But there are situations where a child can become injured due to negligence by someone else which has far reaching consequences.

If you are the parent of a child who has become injured due to someone else’s fault then you may be able to claim compensation.

Making a claim for compensation for a child’s accident

A compensation claim for a child tends to be a long, drawn out affair as it is important to assess the long term consequences of the accident. So if the child sustained an injury whilst very young then the impact of this may only become apparent once the child is older.

Basically, the younger the child and the greater the extent of the injury the longer a compensation claim will take.

The child’s condition will be monitored over time in order to determine the extent of the injury and how this will affect any possible payout.

A child under 18 cannot handle their own compensation claim which means that someone will need to be appointed to do so. This is usually a parent or a guardian.

Find a personal injury law firm who has experience and understanding of the issues involved in these types of claims. They will have a high level of expertise in dealing with child compensation claims and should be able to offer help and advice in doing so.

They will assess the grounds for making a claim in order to determine if there is sufficient evidence for doing so. They will monitor your child’s condition throughout the process and should continue to offer support as they do so.

This type of claim can include a range of other issues such as education, financial and specialist care. They cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for the parents who have to cope with these as well as their child’s injury.

If your child has been seriously injured to the extent of sustaining a lifelong disability, and that requires 24 care then no amount of money will undo that. There is no amount of compensation in the world which will remove that disability or give them back their childhood.

However, the money can help to pay for any specialist equipment, treatment or care that they need which, hopefully, will improve their quality of life.

The claims process in general is discussed further in our making a claim for compensation section.

Time limits for these types of claims will be discussed with you by your personal injury law firm or solicitor.