Accidents at School Compensation Claims

When you send your child to school, you place your trust and their care in the hands of professionals; the last thing you expect is for those professionals not to undertake their duty. If your child has suffered an injury while at school or is under the responsibility of professional educators, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

For a child, suffering an injury could be a pivotal point in their life, as they can incur trauma as well as physical injury. Claiming compensation for an accident they have been involved in could help them get the medical care they need or pay for physical or mental health therapy, so it is important to consider making an accident at school compensation claim on your child’s behalf.

Contact an expert child injury solicitor now by calling 0345 872 6666 or filling out an online enquiry form, and we will assess your situation with a free consultation, getting your school accident compensation claim started.

How Can JMW Help You?

We understand that, after your child has suffered an injury while they were out of your sight, you may be hesitant to entrust their wellbeing again. This is why our expert child injury solicitors operate with the utmost respect and professionalism, bringing care to every case and ensuring that your child has as little involvement with the case as possible, so that you and they can focus on their recovery.

You will be kept informed at every stage, and can rest assured that our team will handle all of the complexities of personal injury law, while explaining the process to you in understandable terms.

We always work with the goal of minimising your stress and maximising your benefits, and our solicitors will never push you or your child to answer questions should the process get tiring. However, the more evidence we can collect, the better the chance of securing compensation, so it is important to be aware that we will need your child’s input to succeed with the case.

With a team of experienced child injury and personal injury solicitors, we are perfectly placed to help you and your child pay for any medical treatment or therapy needed with money earned from a compensation claim.

What Types of Accidents Can Result in a Compensation Claim?

Many things can go wrong if a school is not properly managed, or if teachers are not giving children their full attention. If the school is responsible for your child’s injury, you may be able to claim compensation. Examples of accidents that can happen in schools that you may be able to claim compensation for include:

• Slips and falls - if a wet floor is not signposted, stairs are poorly maintained, or there is a dangerous height unmonitored, and your child suffers an injury as a result, this is considered negligence.
• School bus - from accidents on buses, to accidents caused by buses, the school has a responsibility to source drivers, vehicles and services that will treat children with care.
• Faulty, dangerous or hazardous equipment - from bunsen burners to gymnastics benches, schools house a variety of necessary equipment that could cause accidents. Teachers should monitor children when using them, and should identify any potential or present faults.
• Sports - it is not uncommon for athletes from all areas of sport to sustain injuries, but, while in a school, children should be taught how to perform safely by a responsible educator. Failure to do so, or a lack of attention could lead to avoidable injury.
• School trips - when your child is taken off school premises by school staff, they are under the responsibility of those staff. Any accidents that happen under these circumstances may be considered the fault of the school.
• Asbestos - while it is increasingly rare, asbestos is still present in many older buildings, and this can cause serious health issues for your child in later life. The school should identify any asbestos on the premises and have it removed, or cordoned off until it can be safely removed.

If your child has suffered an injury due to any of these factors, you could be eligible for compensation that may help with any treatment or mental health services your child needs as a result. Contact one of our professional child injury solicitors now for a free consultation and a swift start to your claim.

How Can I Claim Compensation for an Accident at School?

When you call JMW, our expert child injury solicitors will discuss your situation in a free over-the-phone consultation, in which they will be able to assess the options available to you and the complexity of the case. If you decide to undertake the claim, we can begin to gather evidence.

Depending on the type of accident, gathering evidence may take time. Some cases may be simple: for example, if a wet floor sign is missing and your child was caught on CCTV sustaining an injury, this will often be ample evidence to support your claim. Alternatively, it may be more complex, such as an accident on a school trip that may rely on witness statements. If the case relies on child witnesses, it may also be more taxing to get reliable information as they may find the process stressful.

If the school contests the claim, our solicitors can represent you in court, employing a level of professionalism only an experienced child injury law team could.

Contact JMW solicitors now for expert guidance and advice.

How Long Do I Have to Make a Child Injury Compensation Claim?

You have up to three years to begin a child injury claim from the date the incident happened, but it is recommended to do it as soon as possible because gathering evidence and collecting witness statements may be much more difficult years down the line. A child can also make a claim themselves, in which case the three-year time limit begins when they turn 18.

Adults Who Suffer an Accident at School

If you are an adult who was visiting a school for any reason and suffered an injury that was not your fault, you may also be eligible to file a compensation claim. Rather than speaking to our child injury specialists, you should contact our expert personal injury team to discuss your circumstances.