Personal Injury Claim against Local Authority

[bgqs]

My 2 year old son tripped over a raised paved area yesterday whilst at the local community council. The condition of the paving is in a bad state and I am going there today with a ruler and pen to take some pictures.

 

My son sustained a head injury which required a visit to A+E for x-rays and stitches. The wound is approx. 3 inches long and is quite deep.

 

He is obviously extremely traumatised about the whole ordeal and I am sure that he will never forget the accident. There will be a permanent scar left on the wound has healed.

 

After today, I will have the following information to substantiate my claim:

 

 

• Photographs of the location where the incident occurred.
  
• Photographs of the Injuries sustained
  
• Hospital Incident Logs (can be obtained if required by a court)
  

 

My questions are as follows:

 

 

• Is this a claim worth pursuing the council for ?
  
• Should I open direct dialogue with them first or go to a Solicitor ?
  
• As my Child is only 2 years old, what compensation could be claimed as obviously there would be no loss of earnings on his or our part ?
  
• What is general compensation value (General Damages) for an injury of this nature ?
  

I have never prepared a personal injury claim before and am well aware that this area is a minefield regarding legalities etc.

 

I want to make sure that I start the procedure correctly without prejudicing my claim later down the line.

 

Thanks

[reallymadwoman]

I would suggest seeking legal advice before approaching the council. Try to get a recommendation for a solicitor experienced in personal injury claims rather than pick someone out of the phone book. If you can't get a recommendation, go for a smaller local firm.

[bgqs]

I think that will be my first port of call.