Supervision

The younger the child involved in a UK child accident the more likely the accident claim against the school will be.

When children are playing on a playground climbing frame, a suitable member of staff should be supervising. This is especially important when the children are very young as there is a high potential that a child injury could occur. Young children do not always understand the potential dangers of using equipment like this, making it imperative for a teacher to be present.

If a teacher isn’t present and your child suffers injury, this will increase the chances of bringing a successful injury claim against the school.

Suitability of the equipment and tarmac

It should really be accepted that children, especially young children, will fall from playground equipment. This can happen regardless of whether a teacher is supervising or not.

However, what will be at issue are the height of the climbing frame and the suitability of the tarmac below it. The climbing frame should not be too high for a child of a certain age to use. If it is, a member of the teaching staff should prevent them from using it. If a child falls from a climbing frame that’s at a suitable height they won’t have to drop too far before reaching the floor, so the risk of injury will be reduced. If it’s too high serious injury could occur.

The surface underneath the climbing frame should also be able to cushion the fall of the child and prevent injury. Modern surfaces include a kind of rubber which is designed specifically to do just that. The school should ensure this is in place.

If for example your child falls from a climbing frame and breaks an arm, it’s likely that the equipment was too high and the surface below wasn’t properly cushioned. In this event, the school’s potential argument that it was an unavoidable danger of providing this kind of equipment would be unlikely to hold up and a compensation claim could be successful.

How Much Compensation?

All personal injury cases are unique and so the amount of compensation that is awarded in each case is also unique. Compensation is understood by looking at two specific factors: general damages and special damages.

General Damages

The pain and suffering that your injuries have caused are main factors that are used to determine how much general damage compensation you are owed. This will usually be determined by undergoing a medical examination, from which a report is created that highlights the length of time the injuries will take to heal as well as their severity. Our compensation calculator will give you an indication of how much general damage compensation you might be entitled to based upon your injuries.

Special Damages

In addition to receiving compensation for your injuries, you may be able to reclaim any financial losses that you might have suffered as a result of your injuries. Compensation for financial losses is known as special damages compensation. This can include losses such as loss of earnings due to not being able to return to work, the cost of treatment as well as travel to treatment. It is important that you keep any receipts or evidence of additional losses in order for these to be reclaimed. With the exception of children, there is a three-year time limit on making a personal injury claim. This time limit begins from the date that the accident initially occurred. Therefore, you should contact a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible to assess your case.

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.