Children’s Road Accidents

In road traffic accidents, people can often think of two drivers colliding. However, there are many children’s road accidents that happen that people may not think about initially. Children are particularly vulnerable to road accidents as they cannot be held accountable for many of them.  

Sometimes accidents that involve children happen that are unavoidable. But if your child has been injured in an accident that was the fault of a driver, then you may be able to make a claim on their behalf. 

children's road accidents

The most common children’s road accidents 

The three most common children’s road accidents are pedestrian accidents, passenger accidents and cycling accidents

The most common types of pedestrian accident include: 

  • Drivers driving carelessly 
  • Speeding  
  • Hit and run cases 
  • Drivers going through red lights 

This is even more important for children as they may accidentally run or walk out into the road. Pedestrians are amongst some of the most vulnerable road users, so have the same level of protection as cyclists and motorcyclists. 

Children’s bicycle accidents can happen for all sorts of reasons. However, in our experience, the most common accidents include: 

  • Hit and run accidents 
  • Faulty bicycle parts 
  • Defects in the road and pavements, for example, potholes 
  • Slippery road or pavement conditions due to ice, snow, or oil spills 

If your child has had a bicycle accident due to one of these reasons, then it may be someone else’s fault and you may be able to make a claim on their behalf. 

Passengers have far more compensation rights than other parties in RTA claims due to the fact that, in most cases, there is no way that a passenger can be deemed liable for the accident at hand. Drivers of any vehicle have a duty of care to ensure that you and other passengers don’t come to harm during travel, meaning that you’re eligible to make a claim should any car accident cause injury. 

Making a claim on behalf of a child 

If a child is injured in a road accident, they cannot make a claim for themselves. So, if this happens, a parent or guardian may be able to make the claim on their behalf. In these cases, any compensation is then held in a trust until the child turns 18. 

The time limit for making a claim for children’s road accidents also differs from adults. Usually, in a personal injury claim, you have three years from the date of the accident to make a claim. However, with children’s road accidents, this three-year period doesn’t start until the child turns 18. So if your child has an accident, you have until they turn 18 to make a claim. They can then make a claim for themselves until they turn 21. 

How we can help with children’s road accidents 

Here at The Compensation Experts, we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with personal injury claims. This includes children’s road accidents. Contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138765 to speak to one of our friendly experts.