Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

I fell badly on a dodgy piece of paving at school and they haven'y even apologised.

168 replies

ExLondonite · 03/05/2016 13:50

I'm not a 'pick up the phone and call injury lawyers r us' sort of person, but this really peed me off!!!
To set the scene ... rainy, early evening. I'm late for pick-up, it's dark - before the clocks went back. I'm running because my 7 yr old is going to bollock me for being kept waiting, I leap over a puddle onto 'paving' . 'Paving' is in inverted commas, because 'paving' was actually a very slippery (like ice-slippery) wooden sleeper that 'trims' the side of the length of the pavement. I end up doing a comedy, whole body in the air, landing on my side, in a puddle, car keys flying out of my hand fall. A nice, young guy in his twenties walking past offers me a hand and picks up my keys for me, I'm trying to recalibrate and know something's happened to my knee, a lovely mum I know comes running over and tells me she's mentioned the wooden sleepers to the headmistress ... so I arrive at school entrance limping, my suede coat dripping and feeling like I'm stupidly about to cry!
The first person that sees me is the headmistress who looks suitably sympathetic and tells me she's going to fill in an accident report form. I warn her about the wooden sleepers - they're truly dangerous. And it's great, the next day there's an email warning all parents about them, signs go up, and three days later the metal plates are put on top of the sleepers.
Eight weeks later, after a twisted knee and realigned sacroiliac joint, signed off by my chiropractor, I'm okay but feeling totally peed off. Why should I have to pay for these sessions, couldn't they at least have paid for my dry cleaning and said 'sorry' , an 'are you okay; email wouldn't have gone amiss. I know we now live in a libellous society, but it all felt so wrong.
I called the school and asked them to pay for my four chiropractic sessions. I felt almost fraud-like asking them to do this. I felt like a grabby, faker and very even worse when the accounts dept sent me an email saying 'accidents do happen', no, they wouldn't pay for my chiropractic sessions, their insurance wouldn't cover it and they were glad I felt better. ARGH!!! Just so you know, I've never done this before - claimed for an accident, I have had 3 children at the school - and...and ... argh!
So, I'm left with the sad, realisation - which has probably always been the case with some schools - that they are, after all, businesses, company policy comes in front of all the moral values they say they teach our children - compassion, kindness, respect for others ..and I'm just lucky I came out of it unscathed, but massively peed off/let down/rather sad/disillusioned/peed off etc.

OP posts:
Arfarfanarf · 03/05/2016 16:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ParanoidGynodroid · 03/05/2016 16:45

For the poster asking if a railway sleeper means a railroad tie - no it's a railway sleeper

Same thing! UK and US versions.

ErNope · 03/05/2016 16:49

Are you being serious? You want a compensation pay out because you were running, in the rain, and slipped? Fucking hell... Maybe I should farm my sister out. She's so clumsy i'd rake in billions....

00100001 · 03/05/2016 16:49

YABU for asking a state primary school to fund your sessions because of your carelessness.

So what if your 7 year old has to wait for you? Teach them not to be so bloody rude as to tell their parent off.

Why should the school pay because of your carelessness?

Congratulations OP - you have now become "that parent" Grin

00100001 · 03/05/2016 16:54

I do love your comment of "company policy comes in front of all the moral values they say they teach our children - compassion, kindness, respect for others"

Its almost like you need lessons yourself...
Running in the rain and jumping over puddles and then insisting a primary school pay for your rehab is not very compassionate or kind of you. And some would say, morally wrong. You should teach your 7 year old child to respect that sometimes in life, they will have to wait, and 'bollocking' their parents is not kind or showing respect for others.

PortiaCastis · 03/05/2016 16:55

Good afternooon have you had an acccident recently ?

mouldycheesefan · 03/05/2016 16:56

😂 portia

chubbymummy · 03/05/2016 17:02
  1. You were running because your 7 year old would be cross you were late! Shouldn't you be more concerned that the teacher's being delayed by having to waiting with her?
  2. Suede is not a wet weather item
  3. Accidents happen and you were being careless.
Goingtobeawesome · 03/05/2016 17:22

I sympathise. I've discovered my son's school don't care about him and it's hard to take when you trust your child with them.

BoomBoomsCousin · 03/05/2016 17:26

You sound like you contributed to the accident significantly. But at the same time, they may have too - the "paving" does not sound wholly suitable. Sorting out who is responsible for incidents like and to what extent is partly what the civil court system is for. I have no idea whether they'd find in your favour or not and suspect that it would cost more than the value of any damages. But if you have household insurance you may have access to a lawyer hotline that could tell you whether you are being realistic in thinking they should cough up, and how much would be reasonable.

On the lack of apology though, the head seemed to be apologetic when you first saw her - or did I misread that? I think once you started asking them to pay they probably fell into a defensive state - which you can blame on our civil courts. Apologies can be seen as an admission of liability - which always seems absurd to me, either it's your fault or it isn't. Being nice to someone by saying sorry shouldn't make you more liable, yet it seems to, or at least most people I know believe it does, which is all it needs to stop someone saying sorry.

Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 03/05/2016 17:27

I sympathise. I've discovered my son's school don't care about him and it's hard to take when you trust your child with them

Confused
PortiaCastis · 03/05/2016 17:29

Grin no win no fee

Pipbin · 03/05/2016 17:30

Why should I have to pay for these sessions, couldn't they at least have paid for my dry cleaning

So which class do you think should go without books, resources or pencil?

whois · 03/05/2016 17:32

Adult ran on slippery surface in the rain. Adult fell over.

The words 'told you so' spring to mind...

AddToBasket · 03/05/2016 17:32

OP, a no win no fee solicitor should be able to get you some compensation. Won't be much but should cover the chiropractor and any other expenses but reduced a bit by your contribution to the accident.

Osolea · 03/05/2016 17:34

The fact that the school budget won't extend to paying for chiropractor sessions and a dry cleaning bill for a parent who was careless in the way they were walking (or leaping) when it was obviously wet doesn't mean that the teachers who work at the school don't teach compassion, kindness and respect for others.

I'm sorry you were hurt, and that you feel upset now, but it was an accident. Just one of those random things that happen and blame doesn't need to be laid anywhere.

Gide · 03/05/2016 17:35

You landed, in the dark, on a border of a path, not the path. I fail to see what type of coat you were wearing has to do with it. You feel massively let down because they didn't apologise for something which was your fault? Wow.

TheWitTank · 03/05/2016 17:37

OP is SO not coming back...
Anyway, to put my tuppence worth in, YABU. You were running in the rain and dark because you were late -your fault. Suede coat in the rain -your fault. You 'leapt' over a puddle onto a verge -your fault. It's great they have changed the sleepers now, but they shouldn't have to apologise or pay for your accident. I did the full splits once on the school running track (pursuing keen toddler on rainy summer day in flip flops). Should I have been running on a wet day in stupid footwear? No. Did I walk with a limp and an air of shame for a few weeks? Yes. We all do stupid shit now and again. I hope you are recovering well and your suede survived!

MiddleClassProblem · 03/05/2016 17:41

She's probably on the phone to a call centre looking for answers after putting her cashmere cardigan in the tumble dryer

AugustaFinkNottle · 03/05/2016 18:10

Which teacher should they sack to pay for your treatment?

This is emotive nonsense. No teacher would be sacked, they would pass the whole thing over to insurance.

AugustaFinkNottle · 03/05/2016 18:14

in my opinion by sending out the take care email and carrying out the adaptions to the sleepers the school are admitting that there was an issue. The HT saying that their insurance won't cover any claim is ridiculous, not their place to make a decision for the insurance company.

This. Particularly as there is evidence that the Head has previously been warned of the danger. Sure, damages would be reduced by contributory negligence, but it sound strongly as if there would be a valid claim, provided that this was on the school's land.

Floggingmolly · 03/05/2016 18:41

The danger is people walking on the sleepers, instead of doing the recommended thing of walking on the path. Walking on the road instead of the path brings dangers of it's own; but an incoming truck mowing you down wouldn't be the school's fault either.
The moral of the story is walk on the fecking path.

RubbleBubble00 · 03/05/2016 18:47

Claim on the schools public liability insurance - make sure their premiums increase that come out of the school budget leaving them with less money.

Happened to our school - parents don't get they are taking money say from the school, they think the insurance will just pay wih put consequences

RubbleBubble00 · 03/05/2016 18:49

Wih put = without

wasonthelist · 03/05/2016 19:54

Penfold - its a great shame PL insurance is so expensive

Can't you see the connection between expensive PL insurance and people like you encouraging the OP to try and make a claim? Because I can.