My child recently tripped on a broken kern stone and fractured his knee, how can he claim compensation for his injuries?
If your child has tripped on a broken kern stone, he may be eligible to compensation if he has been the victim of negligence. It may be the situation that he suffered his injury after tripping on a broken kern stone due to the actions – or inactions – of a party who owed him a duty of care towards his health and safety. If a broken kern stone tripping claim can be proven through evidence, compensation can be sought against the insurance policy of the negligent party in question. However claiming compensation for tripping on a broken kern stone when a child is involved involves a different procedure, and for this reason you are advised to consult a personal injury solicitor at the earliest opportunity following your accident.
If your child has tripped on a broken kern stone he legally will not be able to initiate a claim until he reaches the age of eighteen, after which he will have two years to make a claim (giving him until his twentieth birthday). However a parent is able to make a broken kern stone tripping claim on his behalf as a “next friend” at any stage between the child’s accident and his eighteenth birthday. Although you may have a significant amount of time in which to make a claim on behalf of a child for an injury after tripping on a broken kern stone, you are advised to initiate a claim sooner rather than later as there is a possibility that evidence to support your claim may disappear entirely or become unreliable over time. There is also the possibility that you may require compensation for tripping on a broken kern stone for your child’s medical or educational requirements sooner rather than later.
Before acting on behalf of your child as a “next friend” after he tripped on a broken kern stone, you must first be approved by a judge to represent the child. It should be noted that a next friend cannot have a conflict of interest regarding the claim (for instance, if the parent was the negligent party who caused the injury after tripping on a broken kern stone). In the situation of an unsuccessful broken kern stone tripping claim, a next friend must also be prepared to accept any financial liability which may arise as a result. Once the claim is settled your child’s compensation for tripping on a broken kern stone will be paid into court funds, where it will remain until his eighteenth birthday – although funds for medical and educational needs can be released upon application to the court.
While you may appear to have plentiful time in which to make a broken kern stone tripping claim on behalf of a child, you are advised to consult a personal injury solicitor at the earliest opportunity following your child’s injury. You may need financial assistance for medical bills or your child may have trouble adjusting to his injury after tripping on a broken kern stone. You are therefore advised to consult a solicitor to assess your child’s claim to compensation for tripping on a broken kern stone and assist in gathering evidence. By doing so, you are greatly increasing the likelihood that your child will receive a fair sum of compensation after he tripped on a broken kern stone.
