Accidents happen and when it comes to children, they happen a lot. We shouldn’t however, assume that just because they’re kids, it was their fault. In many cases, they are not to blame and their parents or guardians should make sure they receive fair compensation for injuries suffered.
Children can settle a claim or start court proceedings before their 21st birthday, as long as they were 18 or under when the accident occurred (adults have a three year period from the date that their accident happened to start court proceedings).
What type of accidents?
We have over 30 years’ experience of pursuing personal injury claims, many of which have been for children. Accidents as passengers in cars and on buses are common, and we see lots of injuries that have happened in shops, schools, fairgrounds and on unsupervised bouncy castles – a source of particularly bad injuries.
We secured compensation for a paperboy who fell down a manhole whilst on his rounds and a child who had a very frightening experience when the brakes on his brand new bike failed. Dog bites and criminal injury claims are regularly brought on behalf of young victims.
How can I claim compensation for my child?
Get in touch with an experienced and reputable personal injury solicitor. We will offer you a meeting, completely free of charge, where we can discuss whether you have a claim. We can meet at a branch office near to you, or we can come and see you at home.
In terms of paying for a solicitor, you may be covered for legal expenses in your household contents insurance and if you aren’t, solicitors offer a Conditional Fee Agreement. This means that if your child’s case is not successful, you will not pay anything and if it is successful, a small sum (no more than 25% of the damages awarded) will be paid to your solicitor.
All settlements for injured children have to be approved by a District Judge, this will just involve a brief and informal hearing, at your local County Court, and we will attend this with you. Usually, compensation is invested by the court, accruing interest, until the child turns 18, at which point it is paid to them. Sometimes, the court will pay some of the damages early if there is a strong enough reason such as the child’s health or educational needs.
We know that this process may seem daunting but it is our job as personal injury specialists to take away as much of the stress and worry from you and your child, as possible. My own daughter has been through this very process after being injured five years ago. She will turn 18 very soon and will receive her damages… I wonder if I will get away without buying her a birthday present??
Get in touch with my team to ask questions or tell us what happened to your child and we’d be glad to help.
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