If you or your child has suffered an accident that wasn’t your fault while on the premises of a school, you are probably eligible to claim for compensation. Our expert team at First Personal Injury are always there to answer any questions that you might have while guiding you through the legal process. 

To learn more or to start your claim, get in touch with our expert team on 0333 358 2345 or contact us online. 

School Injury Accident Types

There are many different accident and injury types that could happen while at school. However, there are certain accidents that are more common and more likely to happen than others. Some of the most common accident types to happen in a school include: 

• Slip, trip and fall accidents
• Sports-related accidents
• Accidents in the car park 
• Playground accidents caused by a lack of supervisor or negligent staff behaviour
• Illnesses or food poisoning caused by improperly prepared school food
• Injuries caused by faulty or dangerous equipment – such as sports or science equipment
• Exposure to asbestos on school grounds

Anybody who suffers an accident on school grounds due to negligence on the part of the school may be eligible to claim compensation. Claims may sometimes be brought against another family if a child has been hurt due to violence by another child, but these sorts of cases are less likely to succeed. No matter what your specific scenario is, a personal injury solicitor would need to assess your case before deciding if there is enough validity to the case for a claim to be made. 

Amount of Compensation

Each school accident will be different from another and so compensation can only truly be accessed on an individual basis. Still, there are certain estimations that can be given based around the injuries that you are displaying. Compensation will primarily be based upon the severity of your injuries or your child’s injuries, as well as the impact that these injuries have had upon your ability to function. For example, if the accident caused a minor back injury you could be awarded anywhere between £1,950 – £9,970. A severe back injury could be awarded between £30,910 – £128,320.

To find out more about compensation amounts for different injuries, look at our compensation calculator.

Compensation will also take into account other extra costs associated with your accident. For example, if you have suffered financial losses due to being unable to work because of your own injuries or having to stay at home to take care of your child then compensation would take this into account. Therefore, to fully understand the amount of compensation you could be owed for an accident it is necessary to speak to a personal injury solicitor directly. 

What to Do After an Accident at School

If you or your child has had an accident while on school grounds it is important that you or your child report the incident to a staff member as soon as possible. This will allow for a record of the incident to be made and any necessary medical treatment can be given. You should also collect the contact details of any witnesses to the incident so that they can later be called forward as evidence in the case. It could also be useful to take photographs of the scene where the incident happened. For example, if the injury was caused by a defective product it would be very useful to have photographs of the product so that the faults can clearly be seen and used as evidence. 

If the incident is due to tripping on unsafe or unlevelled flooring it could be useful to use a ruler to highlight these issues. For example, if one step is unevenly raised compared to the others, it would be useful to highlight this in the photographs and make this point very obvious. 

While most injuries that happen in the playground are genuinely just accidents, certain incidents may have been partially caused by negligence on the part of the school. For example, if the playground was not being properly supervised or if the children were not reprimanded for unsafe behaviour, this could perhaps be grounds to make a claim. 

Claiming on Behalf of your Child

While some people might think that you cannot make a claim on behalf of your child this is not true. However, you are able to make a claim on behalf of your child until their eighteenth birthday. Once they turn eighteen, they will have three years to make a claim on their own behalf. If you are the injured party then you will have three years from the date of your accident to make a claim. 

Making Personal Injury Claims

You may be entitled to compensation for a range of compensation claims under accident claims. Our experts will help assess your potential claim going forwards and provide you with proficient advice.

Contact First Personal Injury to discuss your potential compensation claim today by ringing 0333 358 2345 or by filling out the online claims form.

To learn more or to start your claim, get in touch with our expert team on 0333 358 2345 or contact us online.