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Schools, colleges and nurseries have a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to provide a safe environment for children, teachers and other employees, parents and other visitors to the school. They are not expected to prevent every minor mishap that a child experiences as they go through school, but they are required by law to reduce the risk of injury from accidents that reasonably can be foreseen.
Children are vulnerable to accidents on, around or involving school transport, in carparks, drop-off and pick-up zones, or whilst walking, cycling or crossing roads within the school grounds or outside the school gates. Where the accident takes place outside school, the responsibility may lie with another organisation or driver. Drivers are expected to take extra care around schools and be aware of children walking, running or cycling into the road.
School injury claims are not limited to children. Employed adults, such as teachers, parents or other visitors who are injured as a result of dangerous premises and equipment, poor health and safety practises, or negligence of other staff at the school may be entitled to claim compensation.
Children may not recognise hazards or danger. The younger the child, the greater the responsibility on the school to keep them safe. This applies whether they are in class, in the playground, on the sports field or out and about for sports events, after-school clubs or school trips.
Where the school, its staff or contractors fail to comply with safety standards and guidelines or their negligence results in serious injury, the injured child or adult may be entitled to claim compensation.
We strongly advise parents of children who have been injured at school to speak to our expert lawyers before accepting any offer of compensation they receive directly from a school or other organisation or their insurers. You risk irrevocably settling your child’s claim for substantially less than the child’s full entitlement to compensation. Claims for children’s injuries should always be handled by experienced solicitors, and their settlements must be approved by the court
Boyes Turner’s personal injury lawyers have over 20 years’ experience of helping injured children and adults rebuild their lives after serious injury, through claims for compensation. Our clients benefit from:
We have helped countless families obtain the help they need to ensure that their child’s home environment, education and care meets their needs after an accident results in disability. Client families who have trusted us to help them through these difficult times often tell us that it was our caring, professional and personal support that carried them through.
Call our specialist legal teams Monday - Friday, 9:00 - 17.30 for free, no obligation advice.
Complete our simple form to start your claim and get a call back back from our expert legal team.
Schools have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for children to learn and play, and for teachers and other employees to work. They must also take reasonable measures to prevent foreseeable injury to parents and other visitors to the school.
We claim compensation for serious injury caused by school accidents or negligence for:
Our experienced personal injury claims lawyers investigate each client’s accident and injury thoroughly to ensure that compensation is claimed from the correct defendant(s).
Depending on the type of school and the circumstances which caused the injury, claims may be made against:
In most cases, the response to the claim and payment of compensation will be covered by defendant’s insurance company. Schools are expected to have insurance in place for public liability, employer’s liability, and negligence claims for personal injury. Compensation in claims arising from violent crime are paid by the CICA. In most cases, school funds will not be affected by a compensation payment to an injured employee, visitor or child.
Many private schools now provide accidental injury cover for pupils via a voluntary/mandatory accident insurance premium added to the annual school fees. Where accidental injury insurance is in place, we advise that parents speak to us as soon as possible, so that we can ensure that the injured child receives their full entitlement to compensation.
Boyes Turner’s personal injury team specialise in recovering compensation for clients with permanent disability arising from severe injury.
Claims for compensation related to accidents or injuries at school arise where the school or its staff are at fault for causing, or failing to take reasonable steps to prevent, a foreseeable injury.
School injury compensation claims are common after an injury is caused by:
The claim may be made against the school, another organisation or individual, or the CICA, depending on the circumstances of the accident and injury.
When an accident or injury is caused by the negligence of the school, its staff, contractors or visitors, we help the injured child, adult or family claim compensation for the lifelong impact of severe injury including:
We also act for parents who have suffered psychological injury as ‘secondary victims’ from witnessing their child’s traumatic injury.
Each individual’s compensation claim is calculated carefully to ensure that it reflects the severity of the injury, and that it meets our client’s lifelong needs arising from their disability. A reduced amount of compensation may be paid where the injured person’s own actions partly, but not totally, caused the injury.
The claim may include compensation for:
We understand the physical, practical, emotional and financial challenges that parents face when their child needs extended hospital treatment followed by changes to homelife, daily activities and school.
Our client families can count on our experience to help them gain access to early financial help, individualised rehabilitation, expert support with home adaptations, equipment and care needs and specialist education. Our support continues through our deputy and personal injury trust services, ensuring that where long-term financial provision is needed, our clients’ compensation money is both protected and accessible to meet their needs.
Accidents involving children are always distressing for their families. In some circumstances traumatic or shocking accidents may also cause psychological injury to a witnessing parent. Our compassionate team are experienced in securing treatment and financial compensation for parents or other members of the injured child’s family who suffer psychological injury as ‘secondary victims’.
If your enquiry relates to help with special educational needs (SEN) support, an EHCP Education Health and Care Plan or school placement for a child with special educational needs, you can contact our specialist SEN team here: www.senexpertsolicitors.co.uk
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A personal injury is an injury to the body. Sometimes the physical injury or the circumstances in which that injury was suffered also leads to a psychiatric or psychological injury.
When someone is injured as a result of another person or organisation’s breach of their duty of care (negligence), the injured person may be entitled to claim compensation for their injury and its financial consequences. The claim for compensation is made against the person or organisation that was responsible for the injury and is usually met by their insurer. The legal process of claiming compensation for injuries that are caused by negligence is known as a personal injury claim.
Boyes Turner’s personal injury team specialise in claims involving severe or catastrophic injury. Most of our clients have been injured in road traffic accidents (RTAs) and accidents at work.
For compensation claims relating to injuries which occurred in England or Wales the general rule is that court proceedings must be issued (formally started) within three years of the date of the injury. In most cases, before a claim can be issued work must be carried out to investigate the claim, notify the defendant and the insurance company against whom the claim is being made and obtain a medical report to support the claim. The sooner you contact us after an injury has occurred, the sooner we can begin to help you, and the better we can investigate and prepare your claim.
Longer time limits apply to children whose three-year time period only begins to run from the age of 18, meaning that their time limit expires when they reach the age of 21.
Time limits do not apply for those who lack mental capacity. Where an injured person’s mental capacity is uncertain, we work closely with our Court of Protection team to determine whether our client has capacity to bring their own claim. As with other claims, it is always advisable to contact us as soon as possible after the injury, to ensure that evidence can be preserved, rehabilitation started (where needed) and financial help secured via the claim.
In exceptional circumstances, the court may extend the time limit (or limitation deadline) for those including:
You can make a personal injury claim for:
Court proceedings are issued (started) in many cases but this does not mean that the case will end in a trial. There are many reasons why court proceedings might be issued:
The duration of a serious injury claim depends on the individual circumstances of the client’s case. Claims take less time to conclude if:
Claims are more complex and may take longer to resolve where:
We work hard to secure cooperation with defendant insurers, to provide immediate needs assessments and timely funded rehabilitation for our clients to maximise their recovery in the all-important period immediately following an injury. Wherever possible, we also secure interim payments to ease our clients’ financial hardship long before their claims have concluded.
By taking the time that is needed for the client’s rehabilitation and the careful assessment of their long-term needs, we can be confident that each client receives the full support and the compensation they deserve.
Compensation is carefully structured to make the best provision for the injured person’s needs. There are rules protecting compensation for children or adults who lack mental capacity. Compensation may be paid in one or more of the following ways:
If you, or someone in your family has been seriously injured in an accident that was somebody else’s fault, you may be entitled to make a claim. If this feels daunting, alongside everything else that you are coping with in the aftermath of an accident, it may help to remember that:
If you decide that you want to go ahead with making a claim, we will gather as much evidence as we can to support your claim. This evidence may include:
We will also contact the defendant and their insurers to begin working towards meeting your immediate needs and settlement of the claim.
Our personal injury lawyers are specialists in catastrophic and severe injury compensation claims. Our clients have often suffered life-changing injury resulting in permanent disability, and we aim to assist their recovery by securing funded rehabilitation, whilst supporting them in adjusting to the changes to their lives and securing compensation to meet their needs in the future.
Our clients usually have suffered one or more of the following:
If you have suffered a serious injury as a result of somebody else’s negligence (breach of their duty of care), we may be able to help you make a claim for compensation.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident and the severity of your injury, we may also be able to help you claim compensation:
The vast majority of our clients’ serious injury claims are settled without the need for a court hearing (trial). Our clients very rarely need to go to court.
Our personal injury specialists are highly experienced in investigating and assessing the strength of each client’s case. From the outset, and throughout the claim, we advise our clients clearly and honestly about their prospects of success.
We work hard to prove each client’s claim, based on evidence of the circumstances of their accident and the impact of their injury. We encourage cooperation with the defendant’s insurers and negotiate the best possible settlements for our clients. On the rare occasions when a claim cannot be settled without a court hearing, this will be because:
In the following circumstances, the law requires a judge to approve an out-of-court settlement, for the protection of those involved:
In these cases, the approval hearing will be a short hearing at which the lawyers for both parties explain the circumstances of the case and the settlement terms to the judge. In most cases, our client will be expected to be in court during the hearing, accompanied and fully supported by members of our legal team.
The amount of compensation that an injured person receives in a personal injury claim depends on a number of individual factors:
Depending on the client’s injury and the way it affects their life, their claim may include compensation for:
An interim payment is a part-payment of compensation which is paid to the injured person, in advance, whilst the claim is ongoing. We can usually secure an interim payment from the defendant’s insurer where they have admitted liability (accepted fault) for our client’s injury.
We use interim payments to help the injured person and their family, who may be suffering financial hardship as a result of the injury. Where insurers are not willing to provide Rehabilitation Code funding, we sometimes obtain interim payments to ensure that our client receives the rehabilitation, case management and therapies that they need straight away.
Interim payments may be used to meet any genuine need, but it is important that the injured person and their family understand that the sums that they have already received as interim payments are deducted from their final compensation at the end of the claim.
Depending on the client’s injury, an interim payment may help meet their needs for:
By understanding and targeting provision for our clients’ rehabilitation and other essential needs early in the claims process, we help restore our clients’ mobility, independence and ability to participate fully in family and social life, long before the claim has concluded.
When claiming for compensation, Boyes Turner will help you gain:
The easiest way to get started is to talk to one of our friendly, experienced solicitors. You can talk to us free and confidentially about your potential claim, with no obligation, by contacting us by email.
It costs nothing to talk to us to find out about making a claim. Our initial advice is free.
When you first contact us, we advise you whether we can help you make a claim. We discuss how your claim will be funded, and advise, fully and clearly, how that works and what it will mean for you.
We offer a range of funding options, but the majority of our clients’ claims are handled on a conditional fee agreement (CFA) basis, often known as ‘no win no fee’. This means that there is nothing to pay at the outset or until the claim is settled, and you receive compensation. If you win your claim, the defendant’s insurer makes a contribution towards your legal costs. You pay nothing if your claim does not succeed.
Our medical negligence and personal injury teams have been nationally recognised for over 20 years because of their expertise, empathy and commitment to securing maximum compensation for our clients.
Almost 5 years ago my sons suffered a life changing brain injury accident. A new life for everyone, so many unknowns so many difficult decisions. I met Claire and the team shortly after the accident. So many questions answered but more than that, amazing lovely people. Claire has been guiding me and the family throughout this ordeal with such compassion, there every time I needed her we couldn’t of asked for a nicer person. I have met many others with in Boyes Turner and all have been genuine lovely people, I’m now working with Ruth and Lindsay from the court of protection. Again, I can't say enough about them amazing lovely people. They truly do won't the best for my son and they did and continue to do so.
Claire is exceptionally knowledgeable in the personal injury legal domain, especially in the specific area of my injury. From our very first conversation, she was clear in explaining the potential different routes that the process could take and provided me with expectations of what I could expect along the journey. She ensured that all bases were covered, organising meetings, discussions and necessary specialist appointments, in order to bring together the case and take it forward. Claire was then able to use her extensive pool of contacts, to appoint an "area leading" barrister, to represent me. Overall, I was very pleased with appointing Claire and Boyes Turner to act as my solicitor for the legal claim that I pursued. Thank you for all of your support.
I approached Claire Roantree of Boyes Turner in regards to making a claim about a workplace burns injury. It was something that had scarred me physically and mentally and taken a huge toll on the lives of me and my family. Claire wasted no time in finding out what happened and made sure I was treated by known experts and quickly finding an answer to my burns scarring and how I could be treated to help manage my pain. Claire also helped me by appointing a psychiatrist to understand my situation and help me cope with post traumatic stress disorder. As well as taking as much stress of the claim away, she was thorough in every situation, making sure I had the best possible claim, and handled it all expertly, I am so very grateful to her and her team. They have helped guide my life back into a positive direction and I can't thank her enough!
Excellent service from Claire and her team at all times. We were kept up to date at each stage of our claim. The outcome was much better than we expected and we would not hesitate to recommend Boyes Turner to family and friends.
Kim handled my personal injury claim after a car accident with immeasurable expertise and compassion. Boyes Turner arranged every part of my private rehabilitation, which greatly improved the speed and quality of my recovery. Each stage of the litigation process was dealt with efficiently and succinctly. This was then always explained without using unclear legal jargon. On both health and financial levels, I would be in a far worse position without Kim’s invaluable input. I cannot recommend this firm enough.
