Stephen Matthews
Team Leader & Solicitor, Personal Injury
English
If your child was seriously injured in an accident and you believe it may have been caused by someone else's negligence or failure to take reasonable steps to keep them safe, our specialists in Child Injury claims can help you understand whether a claim may be possible and explain your options.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0800 260 5010
Most childhood injuries happen by accident. However, when a playground is badly maintained, a school fails in its duty of supervision, a driver injures a child pedestrian, or a business falls short of its obligations to young visitors, it may be possible to bring a claim for compensation on the child's behalf, which may help support their recovery and future needs.
We understand how devastating it is for your child to suffer an injury, especially if that injury is life-changing. Our specialist team has recovered millions of pounds for injured children and their families and can provide clear advice and support throughout the claims process.
Simpson Millar is the Legal Support Service for the Child Brain Injury Trust in Yorkshire and Humberside. Our Personal Injury Solicitors are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and hold the Law Society's Personal Injury Accreditation. As a firm, we are also ranked in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
To discuss your circumstances and find out more about your options, call 0800 260 5010 or request a callback. We offer a free initial claim assessment, with no obligation to proceed.
Our personal injury solicitors have helped children and their families recover compensation for:
For more information about accidents in shops, leisure facilities, parks, and other public spaces, see our Public Place Accident Claims service.
Claims on behalf of children involve additional legal safeguards that do not usually apply to adult claims. A litigation friend, usually a parent or guardian, acts on the child's behalf throughout the claim. Any settlement must normally be approved by the court to ensure it is in the child's best interests, and compensation is usually held by the court until the child reaches the age of 18. Our team can guide families through each stage of this process and explain it in clear, straightforward language.
For children who have suffered serious injuries, rehabilitation and ongoing support can play an important role in their recovery and future development. Our team works with a range of professionals, including paediatric consultants, occupational therapists, neurologists, physiotherapists, and education specialists where appropriate. We also have an Education Law team that can provide separate advice on issues such as school reintegration and special educational needs support.
We handle every step of the claims process so you can focus on your child's recovery. Call 0800 260 5010 or submit a callback request on our website.
| Injury Category | Typical Description | General Damages Range (£) |
| Minor Injuries | Full recovery less than 7 days | A few hundred to £840 |
| Minor Injuries | Full recovery less than 28 days | £840-£1,680 |
| Minor Injuries | Full recovery less than 3 months | £1,680-£2,990 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Minor head/brain | £2,690-£15,980 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Moderate ABI | £52,550-£267,340 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Moderately severe ABI | £267,340-£344,150 |
| Brain & Head Injuries | Very severe ABI | £344,150-£493,000 |
| Orthopaedic Injuries | Loss of both legs | £293,850-£344,150 |
| Spinal & Paralysis | Paraplegia | £267,340-£346,890 |
| Spinal & Paralysis | Tetraplegia | £396,140-£493,000 |
*ABI (Acquired brain injury)
Compensation amounts are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition). These guidelines are used by courts, solicitors and insurers in England and Wales to assess compensation in personal injury claims.
Once we have taken your initial instructions, your claim will be passed to a Personal Injury Solicitor who specialises in the type of claim you are pursuing. We’ll then figure out who exactly is responsible for the injury you’ve suffered.
If the other party admits fault for the accident, your Personal Injury Lawyer will get your medical records and get you examined by a suitable medical professional. The expert will review your records, examine you and write a medico-legal report. This report will be written by either a doctor or another type of health professional, for legal proceedings. It’s an essential document when it comes to evidence, as it’ll be used to explain what your physical or mental injuries are. If you have more than one injury, you could be examined by multiple different experts.
When the medical evidence is finalised and your Personal Injury Solicitor has calculated how severeyour financial losses are, they will figure out the value of your claim and then advise you on the sum of the compensation settlement offer you should make to the other party. In some cases, your Personal Injury Solicitor might advise you to invite the defendant to make a settlement offer, instead of making one to them.
Ideally, the other party who is responsible for the injury you sustained will accept that they’re at fault or they’ll want to negotiate a settlement outside of Court.
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Yes. If a child is under the age of 18, a parent, guardian, or another suitable adult can usually bring a claim on their behalf. This person is known as a litigation friend. As a litigation friend, you will:
Our team will explain your responsibilities and guide you through each stage of the process.
The standard three-year personal injury time limit set out in the Limitation Act 1980 does not usually begin until a child reaches their 18th birthday. A claim can therefore be brought at any point before that date. After turning 18, the young person has a further 3 years to bring a compensation claim independently. Despite the extended window, acting early can help you secure better evidence and gain earlier access to rehabilitation and interim payments where needed.
Any settlement on behalf of a child must usually be approved by the court to ensure it is in the child's best interests. In many cases, the compensation is then held by the Court Funds Office until the child turns 18.
Depending on the circumstances and the amount of compensation involved, other arrangements may sometimes be considered, such as a Personal Injury Trust. We have a specialist Court of Protection team that can advise on the trust and, where appropriate, assist with setting up arrangements to help protect and manage compensation awards.
Possibly. A child being on land or premises without permission does not automatically prevent a claim from being made.
Under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1984, occupiers may owe a limited duty of care to people who are not authorised to be on their land. Whether a claim may be possible will depend on the circumstances, including whether the occupier was aware of the danger and could reasonably have been expected to take steps to protect against it.
Courts recognise that children are drawn to places they should not be, and that accessible hazards should be managed with that reality in mind.
Not every injury that occurs during PE lessons or after school sports activities will result in a claim. Children can be injured during sporting activities even where appropriate precautions have been taken.
Schools owe pupils a duty of care and are expected to take reasonable steps to keep them safe. This may include providing appropriate supervision, maintaining sports equipment, carrying out risk assessments where necessary, and responding appropriately when injuries occur. If your child's injury may have been caused by negligence or a failure to meet the expected standard of care, it may be possible to bring a claim on their behalf.
Personal injury compensation awards are split into two categories:
We may be able to offer you a No Win, No Fee agreement. This means you won't usually need to pay any legal fees upfront.
Depending on the circumstances of your case, there may be additional costs, known as disbursements, such as court fees or the cost of obtaining expert medical evidence. In many cases, these costs can be covered by an insurance policy, such as After the Event (ATE) insurance. We will explain any costs and funding arrangements clearly before you decide whether to proceed.
If your claim is successful, some legal costs may be recovered from the other side. If a contribution is required from your compensation, we will explain this to you in advance and agree any deductions before your claim begins.
Call 0800 260 5010 or request a callback for a free initial claim assessment. We can discuss your child's circumstances and explain the next steps, with no obligation to proceed.
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