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?

[viques]

French your GC did not require a filling because they had not been to the dentist for two years,they required a filling because their teeth had not been cleaned properly and/or their diet contained too much sugar.

[ChrissieKeller61]

Well nobody knew that at the time this was the late 80’s @ LetsAskaRobot

[LetsAskaRobot]

OP re your ex - the limitation period would have started when he turned 18, not from when the accident happened.

[PanicAndRun]

In the real world people claim for all kinds of accidents for themselves or their belongings. That's why most places/businesses have insurance. That's why schools have insurance.

[Missillusioned]

In the real world people claim against third party insurance every day for accidents.

[ChrissieKeller61]

My post is in the primary school section. If it’s still at primary school at 23 I’ll put it out of its misery myself.

[overnightangel]

The OP is not of this world.

Awaiting “my poor child (23) sprained his wrist at school” thread.
Get in the real world !!!!

[Missillusioned]

If I lost a tooth at work because of an unsuitable floor surface I would put a claim in. And they would have to pay it. I know they have paid for similar accidents before.

[Alsoco]

Even as a lawyer cases like this annoy me. Make a claim against their insurance instead.

[fastliving]

I don't think you're unreasonable asking them to contribute to the cost.

Over a lifetime that is going to be ££££ and a lot of appointments and pain/discomfort.

Those who say implants/veneers are not problem on this thread, it's because you're still young.
Ask someone in their 40s/50s and older who has the above. That's the age where the gums are receding and the bone is thinning, that's when implants and veneers cause problems/infections.

The school will be insured, definitely get the compensation for this.

I would be heart-broken if a child of mine lost their front adult teeth, it's permanent, they don't heal or re-grow, the child will have ongoing expensive maintenance and problems with them.

[yellowallpaper]

I struggle to see how decking which is 12 inches off the ground is very dangerous? Where did all the leaves come from, it was late January? DSs (6) school has a high slide and climbing frame which has an open area at the top where the children could fall and the height would be about 8 ft. That to me is dangerous if unsupervised. Will be asking Ht about it

[ChrissieKeller61]

I think because my children and I both have lovely teeth they are always complimented on and mine are going downhill I’m probably extra conscious but I mentioned the mining accident and it was an accident because ex broke his neck at school falling off something. Got up brushed himself down and carried on. Woke up at uni 10 years later paralysife from the neck down. 2 years of rehab to learn to walk, degree out of the window. No option by that point to sue anyone as the three years had passed. Kinda wish ex MIL had looked into it.

[lumpy76]

Sorry your child has had this happen. I did the same to my front teeth aged 9 in a playground. Be reassured the teeth will look fine. I had veneers for 20yrs and then crowns put on. My concern is the ongoing pain - this needs sorting ASAP and should be happening. I don't think you're unreasonable in wanting the compensation - I had to have my crowns done privately and they cost me £650 per tooth 8 yrs ago.

[PanicAndRun]

It's not about outdoor play. It's about letting children play on unsafe equipment, due to weather conditions. Our wooden equipment is out of bounds when wet or icy. Children know that,or if they are unsure they ask. There's always a member of staff near it to make sure they get told as soon as they go out.

I wonder if posters are being so flippant because "he just knocked a couple of teeth".

[Frenchw1fe]

@UnexpectedItemInTheShaggingAre
Unfortunately the provision of dental care is really patchy now. My dgc had an NHS dentist who kept cancelling appts. After 2 years they said they were going private.
My ds could only find private dentistry in his area and because my dgc had missed 2 years appts he needed a tiny filling.
I took him, he's 7, it took 15 minutes, no injections etc.
£108.
His initial check up had been paid for separately.
£108 for something simple. Imagine two front teeth implants. You are talking thousands.

[Panicmode1]

In that case, I think you should go back to the school. They will have insurance. Given the pages of risk assessments that are done for anything the children do these days, and given the number of people on this thread alone talking about how slippery decking is when wet, a reasonable person would conclude is wasn't safe in the conditions you describe and therefore there may be a negligence claim possible. But you need legal advice.

Accidents do happen, but I think there is a argument that wilfully ignoring children playing on a dangerous, slippery surface (in a a school where playground equipment would have to have been risk assessed regularly) is verging on negligence. As I have said upthread, in our primary school, children are banned from the decking and wooden playground equipment in wet and icy weather, because it is known to be a risk - and playground staff police the rule.

I hope your son's teeth are sorted out for him and he's not in too much pain for much longer.

[MitziK]

That's a bit a of leap between somebody dying whilst working for a mining company and a kid knocking a couple of teeth out.

If it had been a staff member that had a simple accident, they might have got a couple of half days off to see the NHS dentist at their own expense, the absence being covered by the head or deputy.

[stripeypillowcase]

and I would be pissed off if the school lets dc spend school breaks inside because of the weather (unless there is a danger of trees being knocked over due to high winds).
outside play is so important for physical and mental health of children.

[stripeypillowcase]

it's outside play.
part of learning is how the outside changes in different weather conditions. i.e. surfaces might become slippery when wet.
it's an accident. could have happened anywhere even on the way home under your supervision. even if dc falls off the sofa whilst watching tv.

I hope your dc recovers soon and that the repair goes smoothly.

[ChrissieKeller61]

I’ve acknowledged it was an accident. But just as an example, Rio Tinto accidentally forgot to supply two members of staff to a maintenance site, one man did the job alone and was killed. Did everyone shrug their shoulders and say shit happens, no they did not the family were rightfully compensated for the families loss of earnings for the next 45 years.
Schools have a responsibility to minimise accidents. As do hospitals.
I wonder if the staff member had knocked their teeth out who’d be covering the cost of that and how many days off sick at full pay the school would be covering.

[Rainallnight]

OP, I have so much sympathy for you. My DD was injured in pre-school last year and it’s just so shocking.

I posted a very similar thread to you and got similar responses. The ‘it’s just an accident’ brigade were out in force then too. I don’t think you really understand till it’s your child who comes out of school covered in blood.

In the end, we didn’t sue, because it turned out that there won’t be life-long issues arising from her injury so we weren’t worried about cost. But in your case there will be, and NHS dental treatment is so patchy and can itself be so costly, that I wouldn’t hesitate.

It would be paid for by insurance, so the whole thing about kids missing out is nonsense. Kids are meant to be safe in school.

As to who you sue, I’m not sure but the solicitor would advise you.

[ArthurMorgan]

I'm not sure where I stand on sueing the school, I wouldn't personally BUT then I knocked half of my front tooth out when I was a kid and it's been nothing but a giant pain in the arse, it was supposed to be crowned when I was 16 but the dentist refused to do it (was later sacked for negligence against someone else) and then I was too old to get anything done via NHS and now I can't get an NHS dentist so I pay for dental treatment and there's no way I've ever been able to possibly afford a crown / veneer etc. So I've had a (8+) temporary fillings for 30 years instead which after a while go black around the edge so it looks like my teeth are dirty when they're not or it falls out and I'm walking around with half a front tooth until I can pay for another one.

It's not a case of the kid should be on NHS, it's a lifelong case of aggro, self confidence and money.

[Nacreous]

The quality of dental care on the NHS is not high enough that I would be satisfied that they would fix my child's teeth well enough. I had a friend who lost a tooth at 19 and the NHS "solution" was a denture.

There was no negligence in that case, but incidents like this are why organisations have insurance and a duty of care to those in their premises. I don't know if it would be shown to be negligent or not but I don't think you'd be wrong to try to claim back the costs you and he are likely to incur.

[LizziesTwin]

Go to a solicitor’s, the school or local authority will have insurance, this is what it’s for. Having someone acting on your son’s behalf will make it less stressful for you as you will be able to concentrate on work and him, no need to make your life harder.

[Frenchw1fe]

As dental care is barely provided in the UK these days all this sarcasm about the child bring an NHS patient is misplaced.
I would absolutely get legal advice. As you say your child will need expensive dental treatment for the rest of his life.
Decking is horrible stuff and both my dsis, my dgc and I have all slipped on it in wet weather.
My dbil works in a hospice and all the decking has been treated with special non slip strips.