The entire education system is based on the understanding that when parents send their children to school, they can rest assured that not only will their offspring be educated, they will also be safe.
If your child has suffered injury in an accident in a school setting the personal injury solicitors at Thompsons Scotland can help you make a claim for compensation on a No Win No Fee basis, ensuring that you are never placed in any financial jeopardy and only ever pay any costs and fees in the event your claim is successful.
Any settlement we secure will take into consideration not only the impact of the accident on your child's life in the present but also the impact in the future. Furthermore, the claim should also take into account the impact of the accident on your financial and psychological health – for example, you may have to take time off work to care for your child or you may have incurred medical, travel, equipment and education expenses. Whatever the case, we work to ensure that you and your child get the full amount of compensation you deserve.
A schools' duty of care
All Scottish schools, whether they are operated privately, as an independent trust or are run by the local authority, have a duty to protect the health and wellbeing of the pupils in their care and to ensure that all premises and equipment are safe and fit to use. In fact, any organisation has a duty of care to the people it serves; it is just that when it comes to minors, there is usually an even greater moral duty of care to protect them from potential harm.
Claiming on behalf of a minor
Injury claims for accidents involving children are necessarily complex. This is because children are minors and if they are under 16 must be represented by a person – usually a parent or guardian –who is litigating on their behalf and with their best interests in mind.
Furthermore, as the injured party is young the full impact of the accident may not be obvious until they reach maturity. This is why it is vital that the claim is represented by a personal injury solicitor who has expertise in this area and is able to seek full assessments from experts as to the long-term consequences of the accident and the injuries it has caused. This may involve monitoring the child over the course of their development to ensure the full implications of their injuries are fully accounted for in the longer term.
What can you claim for?
A compensation claim for a school accident cannot turn back the clock or take away the harm that has been caused but it can at least help those affected manage the fallout of the injury, providing for the best possible treatment, care, specialist equipment and rehabilitation as well as providing sums for pain, suffering, lost earnings and medical expenses.
Types of accident
If your child has suffered personal injury while in the care of their school, Thompsons Solicitors in Scotland can help you claim the correct level of compensation.
There are many types of accident and injury that can occur within the school environment and the following are just an example of the types of claims we can assist with:
- Injuries caused by collapsed ceilings, tiles, walls or windows
- Playgrounds equipment accidents
- Incidents attributable to staff shortages
- Sports-related accidents
- Furniture-related accidents
- Slips and trips in the classroom, corridor or playground
- Accidents in the classroom
- Food poisoning incidents
- Accidents which occur while on school trips
School accident compensation claims
Thompsons Solicitors is an award-winning firm of personal injury lawyers in Scotland. We have extensive experience representing claimants in school accident compensation claims. If your child has suffered injury in an accident at school and you would like to discuss your legal rights and options in relation to a claim for compensation, contact us today for a no-obligation chat in confidence.
Should you wish to proceed, we have available to protect you from the potential financial implications of making a claim.
