Claiming compensation against a school for accidents which happen inside the grounds is not something which most people are even aware is an option open to them, but in today's climate there is rarely an incident where chasing a compensation payout is not a viable option.

Parents have a right to expect that their child will be safe in school, and they put their full trust in the teaching and ancillary staff when dropping them off for the day. Pupils themselves should be able to go into school every day knowing that the buildings and equipment are safe to use, and that the supervision is of a high enough standard to ensure nothing untoward should befall them during the time they are on the school grounds. Of course, children are children, and accidents will happen from time to time. However, where there is obvious evidence of negligence where a child has been injured, then the parent has a right to claim compensation on their child's behalf.

For example, if a child were to fall and suffer a broken limb during a fully supervised P.E lesson, then that would be acceptable as an unpredictable and unavoidable injury, and no further action would be pursued. However, if such an injury happened where the teacher was not aware, for instance if they left the room/field, then there would certainly be a call for legal action. Similarly, any injuries caused by and defects/discrepancies in the school property, such as sharp corners on desks, holes in the playground, or faulty chairs, would definitely have grounds for a compensation claim, due to negligence on behalf of the school.

Whilst some critics describe the current 'compensation culture' growing in the UK as farcical, there is no doubt that parents have the right to expect their child will be adequately looked after at school. Suing a school is no different to suing the council or your employer, the same health and safety rules apply which means the same punishments should be applicable if these are not adhered to.

Pursuing legal action against schools does have its downsides, in that teachers may become so wary of the children in their care suffering an injury that they will cease to do any form of activity with them that could lead to an accident. This may include small things like 'play time', or bigger events such as school trips. There has to be a balance, and parents must understand that if they want to claim compensation for minor incidents, it will harm their child's enjoyment of school in the long run.

Another factor which has made claiming compensation easier is the introduction of the no win, no fee legislation for compensation claims, whereby the person chasing a payout does not have to pay a penny of their compensation towards lawyer fees if they are successful, but equally does not have to pay towards their fees if the claim is thrown out. Their lawyer will collect their legal fees and any other court costs from the other party, leaving you free to enjoy the money you are awarded.  

Below are some links to articles about Accident Claims:

Accident Claim What You Should Know
Accident Claim Online
Accident Claim Compensation
Accident Claims Advice