Free Legal Advice for Parents & Guardians of Injured Children

Children are more likely than adults to injure themselves due to the relative weakness of their bodies, natural impulsiveness and lack of coordination. Estimates show that around two million children are admitted to hospital in the UK every year following accidents. The emotional fallout from an injury is often intense for a child. They may withdraw into themselves following an accident, and lose confidence to engage with other children and their educational studies.

Roughly a fifth of accidents involving children take place at schools and nurseries, while many others are injured in traffic accidents and in public places. Slips, trips and falls account for the majority of injuries sustained by children. When out shopping with parents at a supermarket, for example, a child may trip over a pallet or slip on a spilled product. Recently cleaned slippery floors and frayed carpeting at shops are also common accident risks.

Other obstacles, obstructions and hazards which cause children’s injuries include broken glass in playgrounds, pot holes in car parks, damaged floor tiles at swimming pools, and faulty climbing frames, water slides, bouncy castles and theme park facilities. A lack of proper supervision during activities at schools also causes accidents, while a sufficient number of trained lifeguards must always be present when children are swimming.

The owners of public premises will be held legally responsible if a child’s injury was the result of negligence on the part of their management or staff. This is the reason why they are obliged to hold public liability insurance to deal with the possibility of a claim being made against them. They have a legal responsibility to keep their premises well maintained and, as far as reasonably possible, free from potential hazards that could cause an accident.

A child under the age of 18 is a 'protected party' in the eyes of the law, and must be represented by a 'litigation friend' (normally a parent or guardian) who will bring a compensation claim on their behalf. Following a successful claim, compensation will be invested in a court funds office account until the child reaches the age of 18, when they will be able to access it.

If your child has been injured through no fault of their own, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to offer free and reliable legal advice from solicitors with genuine expertise and experience in children’s accident claims.