Knocked front teeth out at school

[ChrissieKeller61]

So I’ll try and keep this brief.
Child was playing on a raised platform, bit like decking in the absolute pouring rain. There was actually a sever weather warning that day.
So he falls. I get a phone call to pick him up and am handed his front teeth shorn off. Adult teeth.
We’ve had NHS treatment and they’ve capped them with composite filling. But he’s in on going pain. And this solution is temporary. Long term he’ll need veneers maybe even implants.

This going to be an ongoing cost for the rest of his life.
A few friends have suggested we see a solicitor. But who am I claiming against the local authority?

Oh that's awful, id be gutted. If the weather and warnings are what you have said I would also want to be seeing the risk assessment for that day. I think your totally within your rights to be considering legal action as like you say, this is going to be on going treatment. Hopefully someone comes along with more information.

sounds like your child had an ACCIDENT.

Wheresthebiffer2 - that shouldn’t have happened

It sounds like the school (rightly) encouraged outdoor play.
www.earlyyearscareers.com/eyc/enabling-environment/accessing-outdoor-play-no-matter-weather/

Nobody wants an accident to happen. Ever. But I'm questioning if the school was unreasonable in allowing the children to play outside. It sounds like an extremely unfortunate accident happened.

On a slippery surface ? Oh they’ve started putting hazard triangles out on it now after the horse bolted. There’s no question they are in the wrong

Playing outside, maybe forgivable. A raised surface, wet, decking is notoriously slippy

Outside play in appropriate play in (almost) all weathers, yes.

How high is the decking, and was it slippery?

Ah, xpost

Do you never go out with your children if it's raining?

I can’t on to say accident but then read adult teeth

My daughter is 12 and has a damaged front adult tooth and whilst it was in different circumstances we’ve been back and forth to dental hospital for over a year and it will be ongoing t she’s adult and then more so I would advise take further

It sounds like they may have been negligent if the equipment wasn't safe

"Oh they’ve started putting hazard triangles out on it now after the horse bolted". Take pictures of this.

Have you received an explanation from the school? What did ds hit his teeth on?

This actually happened to me in junior school, I fell on the playground and scraped my face. Only realised when i went to clean myself up in the toilet that half my adult front tooth was missing. I had it capped with a filling and still have now. Has been replaced a couple of times over the years but still the same thing.

You're being insane to sue?!
It was an accident.. i bet you go out with your children when it's wet on slippery surfaces e.g concrete.
You wont get anywhere, and will have to pay the legal fees.
I hope your child is okay.. but unfortunately accidents happen.

Is it a LA school?
Our school has public liability insurance but the LA handles all the process for us.

Fell, 12 inches onto the concrete playground from the decking. School have given me an incident report. I’ve photographed everything.

It’s not a question of negligence, not even up for debate. Who do I sue was the question?

Of course it was an accident, but people claim for ongoing health care costs when accidents happen all of the time. In car crashes, slips and falls etc.

If you were wanting to claim just because you wanted a bit of cash from an accident, I'd say YABU but your child will have significant costs for the rest of their adult life because of this so I would try to claim enough to assist with those costs in the future, assuming you'd put the money away for them to access when they're an adult and need to pay for dental treatment.

Ouch, poor thing. Similar thing happened to me at school when I was 11, I had crowns to begin with and then a bridge fitted when I was 17 all free under the NHS. The bridge has been replaced a couple of times over the years, again via an NHS dentist which cost me about £270 last time, can’t remember how much the time before so in the 37 years since it happened it probably only cost me £500, hardly a fortune. Accidents happen I’m afraid, I wouldn’t dream of taking legal action in these circumstances

I think it was an unfortunate accident, but not the schools fault.

We're the shoes you provided adequate for the weather warning? Because I'd say that's as much at fault as the school

Our primary school has insurance paid for by parents. About £30 per annum. That covers incidents like this.

You claim is against the school which although they will have insurance, the excess of at least £500 will come from their school budget.

They will have a yearly risk assessment of each item of equipment and they do not need a daily one.

The children should be outside in the wet, the snow and cold as much as possible.

Children slip and you need to prove it was negligence and not an accident.

I believe compensation goes into a trust for the ongoing treatment. Did mention pain the child’s suffering.

If that was your question, you should have said upfront. Why don't you just pay for a lawyer. One of those no win no fee ones sounds right up your street