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Preventing accidents involving children

#SafetyMadeSimple

Accidents are a significant cause of death and serious injury for children and young people and there are some sobering statistics that back up that fact.

According to statistics over 800 children aged between one and nine die each year in the UK, and one in eight of those deaths are due to accidents. In the last year over 45,000 children under 4 were admitted to hospital as a result of accidents.

Child Safety Week in the UK takes place between 5th and 11th June 2023. Run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, it aims to increase awareness of the risks of accidents involving children and is an ideal opportunity to remind parents, carers and others how to keep children safe. This year’s theme is #SafetyMadeSimple. Accidents tend to happen when there’s a lot going on. So accident prevention needs to be simple.

  • Simple changes for parents to stop the scariest accidents.
  • Simple ways for practitioners to get involved even when under pressure.

The Child Accident Prevention Trust is a charity and works to try and reduce the number of children and young people who are killed or seriously injured in accidents.

Top tips to help prevent accidental injuries to children:

  • Always put hot drinks out of the reach of young children and put hot drinks down before picking up a child.
  • Strap babies and toddlers into their highchairs each time they are used.
  • Do not put furniture in front of windows that a child could climb on.
  • Keep a hand free to hold on to bannisters when carrying children up and down the stairs.
  • Keep medication, dishwasher and laundry tablets and E-cigarette refills out of reach.
  • Hold the child’s hand when you are out and about.
  • Ensure that your child wears a helmet when riding their bikes.
  • Always set a good example when crossing the road.

Claiming compensation for children involved in accidents

Sometimes accidents and injuries happen to children which are due to the fault of someone else. In these instances the injured child may, through a parent or ‘litigation friend’, be able to claim compensation for their injuries and financial losses.

Some of the children we have helped to claim compensation include:-

  • Miss L from North Wales who suffered a laceration to her thigh when she fell onto a glass coffee table which shattered and she was cut by the broken glass. She was awarded the sum of £30,000.
  • A 15 year old boy from Cheshire who suffered a laceration to his leg when he was playing on some grass connected to a shopping centre and cut his leg.
  • A one year old boy who suffered a fracture to his tibia when his mother slipped and fell on loose fitted carpets whilst she was carrying him and he was awarded the sum of £7000.
  • Miss S who was aged 2 years old at the time of the accident and who sustained an open fracture of the tip of her right little finger requiring surgery when her finger became trapped in the metal arm/frame used as a support in the disabled toilets at a local leisure centre. Miss S was awarded £5000.
  • A girl from Surrey who was 3 years old at the time of the accident and who slipped on a highly polished floor whilst attending a ballet class in a church hall. She fell on her face losing her 2 front baby teeth and was awarded just over £5,800.

If your child has been involved in an accident, we may be able to assist you. Please contact one of our specialist lawyers on 01244 312306.

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