By Richie Billings. Last Updated 19th March 2024. Welcome to our guide on the subject of school accident claims. If your child has been injured at school due to the negligence of the staff then they could be entitled to compensation. Those under 18 cannot pursue their own claim until they reach adulthood. However, an adult acting as a litigation friend could make the claim on their behalf.
Children can sometimes exhibit reckless behaviours and hurt themselves as a result. This does not necessarily mean that their injuries were caused by negligence.
You’ll need to be able to prove that the school breached their duty of care towards you or your child. We can tell you how you can do this and whether or not your claim is valid.
Speak with us directly to find out more about school negligence cases. We could connect you with a personal injury solicitor from our panel if we think your child could be owed compensation. You can reach us in a number of ways.
- Call us on 0800 408 7825
- Contact us through our website
- Use the pop-up window in the corner
Select A Section
- What Are School Accident Claims?
- When Could You Make A School Accident Claim?
- What Happens To Compensation Awarded To Your Child?
- How Much Are School Accident Claims Worth?
- Start A No Win No Fee School Negligence Case
- Learn More About School Accident Claims
What Are School Accident Claims?
The injuries that a child can sustain in school can be quite varied. For example, your child could slip, trip, or fall due to slippery floors. This could result in dislocations or broken bones in body parts like the wrist or foot.
If the school has a playground, then this might include playground equipment like swings and climbing apparatus. Unsafe equipment is the responsibility of the school to rectify. If responsibility is ignored then this could lead to injuries that result in school accident claims.
If this duty of care is breached and someone is injured as a result, they could claim. This could include parents and visitors to the premises.
For more information on the claims process, speak with one of our advisors today. They could connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel to work on your claim.
When Could You Make A School Accident Claim?
When your child is at school, they are owed a duty of care. This means that the school is responsible for their health and safety, and must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that they are safe while on the premises.
If this duty of care is not upheld, and your child is injured as a result, then this is known as negligence. If you can prove that negligence occurred, then you may be able to make a claim on behalf of your child as their litigation friend.
Litigation friends are appointed by the court to oversee a claim on behalf of someone who cannot claim for themselves. This includes minors under the age of eighteen and those who lack the mental capacity needed to claim.
To find out if you could make a claim on behalf of a child who was injured, contact our team today. Or, to learn more about school accident claims, read on.
What Happens To Compensation Awarded To Your Child?
The litigation friend is not awarded the compensation following successful school negligence claims. Instead, the settlement us paid into a secured bank account in the child’s name. This is referred to as a Court Funds Office account.
The litigation friend would simply be responsible for the administration of the account. For example, they would need to keep things like contact details up to date.
They can also apply for withdrawals from the account if they directly benefit the child. A judge would make a ruling as to whether the withdrawal is permitted.
These responsibilities would end as soon as the child turned 18. At this point, the money will be transferred to the child.
For more information on the school accident claims process, get in touch with our friendly claims team today.
How Much Are School Accident Claims Worth?
When you claim compensation, your settlement could consist of two different heads of claim. These are referred to as general and special damages.
Below, we have included a table illustrating some potential general damages. These sums have been taken from a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).
The JCG is a set of guideline compensation brackets based on past awards that have been made.
| Injury | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries + Special Damages | Multiple serious injuries alongside financial losses, like the cost of mobility aids, prosthetics, or home adjustments. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Moderately Severe Brain Damage (b) | There is a very serious disability which results in a substantial dependence on others, and a need for professional care. | £219,070 to £282,010 |
| Chest Injuries (c) | Some disability caused by damage to the chest and lungs. | £31,310 to £54,830 |
| Moderate Back Injuries (b) (ii) | Soft tissue injuries or disturbed ligaments/muscles that cause continuing backache. | £12,510 to £27,760 |
| Moderate Knee Injuries (b) (i) | Injuries involving dislocations or tears to the meniscus. | £14,840 to £26,190 |
| Moderate Neck Injuries (b) (ii) | Soft tissue injuries, wrenching injuries, and disc lesions causing permanent pain and damage. | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Moderate Foot Injuries (f) | Displaced metatarsal fractures resulting in permanent symptoms. | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Other Arm Injuries (d) | Simple forearm fractures. | £6,610 to £19,200 |
| Moderate Shoulder Injuries (c) | Limited movement caused by frozen shoulder. | £7,890 to £12,770 |
| Wrist Injuries (d) | Recovery takes longer than 12 months, but is complete. | £6,080 to £10,350 |
Other sums can be included in compensation awarded in school accident claims. This part of your claim is intended to reimburse you for any losses that have occurred due to the injuries. These amounts are known as special damages.
For example, your child’s personal property may have been damaged due to the accident that caused the injuries. You could claim back the cost of replacing their clothes or belongings.
Additionally, parents may have to take time off work to look after their injured child. It’s possible that the parent could make a claim for loss of earnings in this circumstance.
For more information on how much your child’s claim could be worth, get in touch today. You could be connected with a solicitor from our panel if your claim is valid.
Start A No Win No Fee School Negligence Case
All of the lawyers on our panel work on school accident claims on a No Win No Fee basis. When working on a No Win No Fee basis, you don’t need to pay your solicitor’s legal fees unless you are awarded compensation. This is done by a small percentage taken from your settlement.
If No Win No Fee school negligence claims are unsuccessful, you don’t need to pay your lawyer anything.
Making compensation claims with a lawyer but without a No Win No Fee agreement can leave you at risk financially. You may still incur solicitor bills even if your claim is unsuccessful.
If you would like guidance on these kinds of claims, you can:
- Call us on 0800 408 7825
- Contact us through our website
- Use the pop-up window in the corner
Learn More About School Accident Claims
- Another of our guides regarding how to claim against a public school.
- Our article on child injury claims in general.
- Find out what to do if your child was injured in a public place.
- Information from the NHS on how to tell if you’ve broken a bone.
- HSE guide on reporting incidents in schools.
- More NHS information on dislocated shoulders.
Thank you for reading our guide on school accident claims. Get in touch for more information on any potential school negligence cases.
Guide by AI
Publisher ET