Child Claims
As a parent/guardian it’s your number one priority to protect and keep your child/children safe but this is not always possible no matter how hard you try.
Children often suffer injury:-
- In public places (e.g. supermarkets, shopping centres, indoor/outdoor play centres/areas
- Road Traffic Accidents
- As a result of medical negligence
If your child suffers an accident and you think this could have been avoided should proper safety measures have been in place then we may be able to assist you in finding the answers to these questions. If your child has been involved in an accident which you do not consider was their fault then you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation on their behalf.
Litigation Friend
It is important to note that children under the age of 18 years are deemed as “minors”. This means that they cannot provide instructions for their own personal injury claim and a litigation friend must be appointed to provide instructions on their behalf. The litigation friend is usually a family member (e.g mother, father, legal guardian) but should not be anyone involved in the incident e.g. driving the vehicle in which the child was in at the time of the accident or was supervising them, as there may be a conflict of interest if a Defendant claims that the supervising adult was responsible for the child’s injuries in some way.
Infant Approval Hearing
Any settlement secured as compensation for a child will need to gain the approval of the Court. This process is called an Infant Approval Hearing.
An approval hearing is a hearing where a judge reviews the evidence of the case and the settlement that has been agreed to ensure it is a fair settlement. Approval hearings are more common when the injured client is a child or a protected party and a litigation friend is required. If you are currently acting as a litigation friend, it is likely that you will have to attend a hearing of this type. Both the child, litigation friend and representative from this company must attend the hearing. It is important to remember that these hearings are in the best interest of the child to ensure that the settlement is suitable.
Once the settlement has been approved, the third-party insurer will be asked to make a payment into the Court Funds Office.
How Will I Fund my Claim?
We offer ‘no win no fee’ funding for personal injury claims. This means that you will not have to pay our legal fees out of your own pocket.
How Do I Make an Appointment?
Contact us to make an appointment by telephone 0114 281 3636 or email – civilenquiries@bestsolicitorsonline.co.uk to make an appointment. We have offices in Sheffield, Barnsley, Stocksbridge and Filey. In certain circumstances we can offer home visits should you not be able to attend a face to face consultation at one of our offices.
