Child Spinal Cord Injury
Compensation for your child's spinal injury
The increased need for care when children are around means that there is often a case for compensation in children’s accidents where an adult might not be able to make a successful claim. In dealing with children’s accidents in the home, in public places, on the road or in the care of a trusted professional, we recognise the child’s vulnerability and the particular duties owed by adults to them.
The value of specialist advice
Representing children who have sustained a spinal cord injury through accident requires a special expertise, one which we can offer at Irwin Mitchell. We will arrange to provide advice for a seriously injured child or young adolescent by a legal representative with specialist knowledge and experience of working with children’s claims.
Through many years of experience in representing children who have suffered spinal cord injuries, we have recognised the importance of a careful and multi-disciplinary approach to managing the needs of a child rehabilitating from a spinal cord injury. Where liability is established, we will work with our client and his or her family to explore all options for support including educational advice and case management. We will also investigate all sensible options for funding including state health or educational provision and as well as private funding through interim payments.
The early settlement of a spinal cord injury claim for a child is often not the best solution particularly when the injury has been sustained early in life. It can be difficult to predict the long term outcome in terms of educational attainment and prospects for work and independent living as an adult. We will appoint specialist experts to carry out assessments and will work with you to assess the most appropriate timescale for claim and how support may best be provided in the meantime.
It’s not all about making a claim
We aim to provide holistic support beyond merely the process of claiming damages. For example, our client liaison service can provide assistance with other aspects of support needs, for example help in dealing with local services or state benefits.
Irwin Mitchell have a strong sense of community support and on a local level work with support groups in particular The Spinal Injuries Association and Back Up to support awareness raising and fundraising activities. Both these groups have dedicated publications and/or courses for children and young people.
Finally, if we investigate a potential claim and advise that there is unlikely to be a reasonable prospect of success, we may still be able to provide assistance in other areas for example if a parent wishes to challenge a decision made by the local education authority, through our specialist public law team.
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