Child Abuse At Sports Clubs Claims

In general, you have three years to make a claim, from the date your injury happened or from when you first became aware of it. For children, the three year time limit begins on their 18th birthday.

These time limits do not apply to people who are unable to manage their own affairs because of mental incapacity.

There are also different time limits if your injury or illness happened outside of England and Wales – for example, during international travel or if a defective product is involved. Time limits will vary and can often be much shorter than three years. No Win No Fee agreements can still be used to fund cases involving an injury abroad.

We advise that you get in touch as soon as possible to make sure no time limits pass.

To make a compensation claim, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with us for a free consultation. We'll discuss the circumstances of your abuse, advise you on whether or not we think you can claim, and work out whether you could benefit from legal aid or a No Win No Fee* arrangement.

If you decide to make a claim with us, we'll usually follow the same four stages:

1. Investigation. We'll take a full history from you, taking time to understand what happened and when. We’ll note any injuries or psychological trauma you've experienced as a result and we may refer you for a medical or psychological examination to investigate the full impact of your abuser's actions. We may also look into records kept by the police, courts, schools, Local Authorities, or medical institutions. We'll also need to work out who the claim will be made against. It could be an individual, or an organisation either responsible for that person's actions, or for your safety. If it's an individual, our investigators will have to look into their financial assets to find out if they'll be able to pay any settlement we agree.
2. Rehabilitation. Abuse, whether physical, sexual or emotional, can have long-lasting impacts on both physical and mental health, and we'll help you to access any medical or psychological care and support you need, both now and in the future.
3. Compensation. We'll work out how much compensation you should get based on the severity of your injuries or trauma, your pain and suffering, any medical expenses you've had to pay, and whether your abuser has impacted your ability to find work.
4. Conclusion. If your opponent accepted blame, you'll be awarded compensation. If not, the case will be settled in court – although this is rare. If you do have to go to court, we'll be there support you every step of the way. If we agreed to handle your claim under a No Win No Fee* arrangement, then you won't have to pay anything if you were unsuccessful.

Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement.

At the start of your case, we'll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. You may be eligible for legal aid or be covered by legal expenses insurance (LEI) or a trade union policy. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household or car insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.

If we think you're best supported by a No Win No Fee* agreement, we'll explain the process clearly. You'll only have to pay anything if your claim is successful – your opponent will pay most of our fees, with the remaining costs coming out of your compensation settlement.

Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.

Yes, legal aid may be available for some types of abuse cases.

Legal aid is means-tested. We can help you with the application process for this and, if you do not qualify, we will explore other types of funding such as No Win No Fee* agreements.

How much compensation you receive for an abuse claim depends on a number of factors that vary from case to case. When calculating your compensation, we take a number of things into account, including:

• The type of abuse experienced

• The extent of the abuse, and how long it's gone on for

• Physical injuries experienced as a result, and any treatment needed both now and in the future

• Psychological trauma, and any therapy or counselling needed both now and in the future

• Impacts on your ability to find work as a result of abuse

The compensation you receive may also depend on who the claim is being made against. We'll investigate and advise on whether it's possible to make a claim against an abuser, an organisation they worked with, or an organisation that should have done more to protect you from abuse, and this may affect your settlement.