Child Injured at School Compensation

Minor trips and falls are commonplace in education settings, and often down to the carelessness of the children involved in the incident. However, there are many situations where children may sustain much more significant and avoidable injuries, that are no fault of their own. In these types of scenarios, you may be able to instigate a compensation claim against the school.

Bringing a Claim for a Child Injured at School

Children at school, just like adults at work, have a right to a safe and accessible work environment and teachers have a duty of care to those entrusted to them. If your child is involved in an accident that is the result of another person’s negligence or lack of safety measures, you may have a right to claim compensation on behalf of your child.

Many claims are never filed as parents are simply unaware of the fact that they have grounds to seek compensation. They may also avoid instigating a claim because they are worried about expensive legal fees. If you are unsure about whether you have a case, you should speak to a qualified solicitor to seek advice.

Scenarios where you may have a basis to instigate a claim include:

• Your child has experienced a traumatic injury on school premises
• Your child has not been adequately protected from violent bullying
• Your child has been assaulted or abused by a teacher or school staff member
• Your school has failed to recognise symptoms of severe mental health disorders as a result of bully or harassment within the school
• Your school has failed to adhere to Health and Safety legislation
• Your school has illegally discriminated against your child in some way.

There will, of course, be many other specific scenarios that occur within a school environment that lead to a physical or mental injury to your child. If you have any doubt about the severity of the incident, contact one of our expert solicitors today for advice.

Some links relating to this topic that you may find useful.

• Gov.ie – Parental Complaints
• Citizen’s Information – Teacher’s Duty of Care
• University of Galway – Injuries Among Schoolchildren in Ireland