My Child Was Injured On A School Trip, Can I Claim Compensation? – How To Claim For A School Trip Personal Injury? – Who Is At Fault?

By Cat Way. Last Updated 28th April 2023. My child was injured on a school trip can I claim compensation? If your child is injured on a school trip due to the negligence or error of a third party who have allowed their duty of care to lapse, which consequently caused the accident, then your child may be eligible for compensatory damages. Here at Legal Expert, we have helped many personal injury victims to secure compensation.

We have the expertise to deal with many child personal injury cases as we have specialists who have been in the field for at least three decades. When assessing a compensation case, the one important thing we look for is whether the accident could have been prevented and the injuries avoided. You can give us a call on 0800 073 8804 to discuss the circumstances of your case. However, before you do so, continue reading to find out more about the claiming process. 

Select A Section

• A Guide To Claiming Compensation If A Child Is Injured On A School Trip
• Examples Of How A Child Could Be Injured On A School Trip
• When Is The School Responsible For Your Child’s Safety?
• When Is The School At Fault For An Accident Or An Injury?
• My Child Had An Accidents On Holiday With The School, Are They Eligible For Compensation?
• My Child Had An Accident At The School Entrance Who Is Responsible?
• My Child Was Injured – How Much COuld The Claim Be Worth?
• What Happens To Compensation Claimed On Behalf Of A Child?
• No Win No Fee Claims If Your Child Was Injured On A School Trip
• How To Start A Claim If Your Child Was Injured On A School Trip?
• How To Contact Our Experts
• References And Additional Guides

A Guide To Claiming Compensation If A Child Is Injured On A School Trip

School trip accident injury claims

Suffering an injury can be upsetting, but seeing your child cope with one could be even worse. If your child is injured on a school trip, you may be feeling very stressed and upset at the moment. It can be difficult to think about making a personal injury claim. After all, you may have a million other things on your mind regarding your child’s well-being.

However, claiming a child negligently injured on school outing could mean compensation could ensure that you and your family do not have to worry about finances while helping your child through the recovery process.

In this guide, we have provided information on a different aspect of the claiming process. We will try to answer the pressing questions you may have. These include what can I do if my child is hurt at school? My child was injured on a school trip can I claim compensation? We will also help you to understand the amount of compensation that your child may be entitled to, as well as what happens to this money, i.e. whether you or your child will receive it.

Aside from this, we will explain the steps to take when making a claim and how public schools may deal with accidents. If you still have any questions by the time you finish reading this guide, please do not hesitate to contact us for some more information.

Examples Of How A Child Could Be Injured On A School Trip

Accidents both to adults and children could potentially happen anywhere as there are different hazards on a field trip that could cause accidents. To have eligibility to pursue a compensation claim, a third party must be liable through negligence for the harm suffered. It must be proven that a third party owed a duty of care and breached it directly, causing the accident, which resulted in an injury. Below we have included potential scenarios of how and why a child may be injured or made ill on a school trip;

• Food poisoning – If a child consumes food while on a school trip that causes an upset stomach or food poisoning, we always strongly recommend getting a medical diagnosis if you intend to pursue a claim for damages.
• Slips, trips, and falls – This could happen anywhere on a school trip and could result from a wet floor with no warning signs, upturned carpets or uneven floors, causing a trip hazard or hazardous obstacles that should be placed more securely.
• Sporting accidents -It is vital that when children are partaking in any sporting activity, they are supervised and trained to do the activity safely.
• Poor supervision – If children are not supervised at all times when on a school trip, especially small children, accidents could potentially happen if they manage to get themselves into dangerous circumstances.
• Bus accidents – If your child is injured while being transferred by a bus or another vehicle due to this vehicle being involved in an accident, then they may be eligible for compensation.

Further details

These are just mere examples of reasons why a child may become ill or injured on a school trip. If you are unsure as to whether the circumstances in which your child became injured while on a school trip qualifies them for a compensation claim, call our expert specialists today, and they will be able to tell you if anyone is liable for the harm caused. This should help as you wonder about claiming after your child was injured on a school trip.

When Is The School Responsible For Your Child’s Safety?

When a child is at school, school management ensures their child has a danger-free environment and protects their health and safety. But, what about when your child is on a school trip? Well, your child is still in the school’s responsibility, and therefore, they need to ensure that all of the required steps are taken to protect your child. Before choosing a school trip location, a risk assessment must be carried out. All of the potential risks need to be identified so that the private school can determine whether the trip is suitable and put steps in place to reduce the risks, for example, ensuring there is the right number of supervisors.

When Is The School At Fault For An Accident Or An Injury?

Compared with adults, children are naturally less aware of hazards that cause accidents resulting in injuries. Therefore, this means that extra care needs to be taken when safeguarding children from potential dangers. It is important that when children are on school trips that the ratio to adults for that particular age group is correct so that children can be supervised correctly. When partaking in higher-risk activities, it should be considered that more adult to children ratio should be increased. The issue of liability is often centred around supervision. If a child is being supervised correctly, then they are less likely to come to harm.  A school may become liable for an injury to a child if it can be proven that their duty of care lapsed, which directly caused the child to be harmed.

My Child Had An Accidents On Holiday With The School, Are They Eligible For Compensation?

Nowadays, a lot of schools may take their students on trips overseas. This may relate to secondary school children as well as primary. Most schools may give students the option of at least one trip abroad during their secondary school years. If your child has been injured in another country, the last thing that may be on your mind is whether or not you can claim compensation on their behalf. However, you may consider making compensation claims because your child was injured on a school trip.

How the accident was caused, how the holiday was booked, whether it could have been prevented, whether the injury was avoidable and if a third party was responsible will all be important factors when assessing if a claim could be made. If you are unsure whether a child injured on school outing compensation applies in your child’s case, please contact us today for further advice.

My Child Had An Accident At The School Entrance Who Is Responsible?

Depending on where exactly the accident happened, whether on school grounds or just outside the school perimeter, will play a key factor in who may be responsible for the accident, leading to an injury. Also, to pursue a compensation claim, the accident that caused the injury must be the responsibility of a third party that owed the child a duty of care. If the incident happened within the school’s premises and it is proven that the negligence on the school caused the accident, which subsequently leads to the harm, then a claim may be pursue for compensation. If the accident happened outside the school premises and could not have been prevented by the school in any way, then they will not be liable for any harm suffered. 

My Child Was Injured – How Much Could The Claim Be Worth?

Following an accident on a school trip, you may be wondering, “If my child was injured, how much could the claim be worth?” Following a successful personal injury claim made on behalf of your child, the compensation settlement awarded could include general and special damages.

General damages is the head of child injury compensation that compensates for the pain and suffering your child has experienced due to their injury. This includes both physical and psychological injuries.

When valuing this head of claim, solicitors often use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document offers guideline compensation brackets for different injuries. We have listed some of the amounts stated in the 16th edition of the JCG in the table below.

Special damages could also be included in the payout awarded following a successful claim. This compensates for the financial losses that may have occurred due to your child’s injuries. For example, you may need to take time off work to care for your child as they recover, in which case you could potentially claim back any lost earnings. Special damages can also cover:

• Medical costs, such as prescriptions.
• The cost of home adjustments.
• Care costs.
• Travel expenses, such as taxis to medical appointments.

You will need to provide evidence regarding these financial losses, such as bank statements and invoices.

Our advisors are here to help if you have any additional questions, such as ‘Could I (still) make a personal injury claim for an accidental injury to my child?’. Get in touch today to start your free consultation by following the details above.

What Happens To Compensation Claimed On Behalf Of A Child?

When a parent or guardian of a child makes a compensation claim on their behalf, if the case is successful, the settlement will be held by the court until the child turns 18. In some circumstances, the court may allow the child to access funds if the parent or guardian write to the court with a specific request for the child.

No Win No Fee Claims If Your Child Was Injured On A School Trip

My child was injured on a school trip can I claim compensation if I don’t have any money? Using a No Win No Fee solicitor will not be expected to pay any fees upfront. While we are in the process of the claim, we will not ask for any fees. If we do not win you any compensation, we will not ask you for any fee for us. If we’re successful, we retain a percentage of the compensation, and the remainder is yours or the children. To learn how to claim on a No Win No Fee basis, please contact our panel of personal injury lawyers.

How To Start A Claim If Your Child Was Injured On A School Trip?

Many people may not claim because they might anticipate the experience to be a stressful one. However, this is only usually the case if you lack all the information you need. With this in mind, below are some top tips for ensuring a more straightforward claim process…

We always advise that anyone who is injured in an accident seeks medical attention. And we say this as it will leave a medical evidence trail if you decide to pursue a claim.

We also advise using an experienced and well knowledgeable law firm. Here at Legal Expert, we will handle your case if we believe it is a valid claim. We have a free legal advice helpline available. We’re open 24/7, so you can call us any time. You will speak to one of our experienced advisors, who will answer all of your pressing concerns. They will also match you to a No Win No Fee solicitor to have your claim processed. We aim to make the process of claiming much simpler and less stressful for you.

Ensure that the incident has been reported correctly so that evidence of it happening is available. Keep receipts and any bank statements that show any financial losses.

How To Contact Our Experts

If you want to seek child injured on school outing compensation for your child, here are the reasons why Legal Expert could be the right option for you.

1. Free Legal Helpline – It doesn’t cost a penny to get in touch with us. You can ring our free legal helpline, and you will speak to one of our polite and efficient advisors. They will provide all the information you need, including whether you have the basis for a good personal injury claim.
2. No Win No Fee – If we believe you will likely receive compensation, we will provide a No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor. This eliminates the financial risk relating to going down the traditional route.
3. Experienced Firm – Legal Expert has all of the experience required to pursue a successful case. We were established many years ago and have helped thousands of claimants, including school accident victims, ever since.
4. Impeccable Reputation – We encourage you to read the customer testimonials about our company. These should fill you with confidence that we are a great choice for you.

So, if you are ready to make a claim or simply want more information because your child was injured on a school trip, you can reach us on 0800 073 8804. There are other ways to get in touch too. This includes our live chat feature or sending an email.

References And Additional Guides

Child injured in a car accident – Our guide to this type of accident covers various scenarios. It may come in useful.

Playground Claims – If a child were injured in the playground, this guide may be more useful to you.

Edited By Melissa.

Child Was Injured On A School Trip FAQs

Can you sue a school for an accident?

Yes, but you must prove that the school is in some way responsible for the accident taking place.

What to do if a child has an accident at school?

You should report the accident as soon as possible and ensure appropriate medical treatment for the victim.

Are schools liable for injuries?

They would be liable if the accident causing these injuries happens on their property.

What are safety rules at school?

These include knowing your full address, never speaking to strangers, not climbing fences and not walking off the schoolyard alone.

What is school negligence?

This is where a school fails to protect a child’s well-being or an employee on its property.

What are the 5 signs of emotional suffering?

These are a change in personality, withdrawal, agitation, poor personal care and a feeling of hopelessness.

What are the 4 types of negligence?

These are gross, comparative, contributory and vicarious negligence.

What are the 3 most common injuries in school?

These are lacerations, bone fractures and joint dislocations.

Thank you for reading our guide on claiming compensation if your child was injured on a school trip.