25% of UK children come close to death or serious injury before leaving school
Children find themselves exposed to potentially life threatening situations on a far too frequent basis. Is it just part of growing up or should more be done to protect children in what many people already call the ‘nanny state’ we live in. When children suffer injuries they are sometimes entitled to make a claim for accident compensation if the accident was not their fault.
The findings of this latest report have been released for Child Safety Week which is run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT).
Statistics from a recent report
24% of parents say their child had a close call before leaving school.
67% say they’ve had to step in to prevent a serious accident.
80% recalled 5 narrow escapes
20% reported up to 10 close scrapes
94% believe that rescuing a child from danger makes someone a hero
Most common accidents
54% stepping in front of traffic
29% falling down the stairs
20% suffering a serious fall from a highchair
12% falling out of an open window
11% drowning in the bath, in a pool or pond or in the sea
11% being badly scalded by a hot drink
Child Accident Prevention Trust
Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) said:
“Most parents whose children have had a near miss have been the ones to save the day. They’re on the frontline of accident prevention, the hidden heroes in our midst. Yet bizarrely they rule themselves out as safety heroes. And it’s not just the heroic rescues. Many parents don’t realise the life-saving importance of the small things they do every day to protect their children.”
“Our message for Child Safety Week is you don’t need to be superhuman to be a Safety Hero. Putting your coffee cup out of reach, making sure the safety gate is closed, practising road safety with your children while you’re out walking – these small things all add up to children who are protected from serious harm.”
What Do The Specialists Say?
David Healey of Carter & Carter Solicitors said:
“Children need to be protected but also learn from their experiences. If a child is seriously injured through no fault of their own, their parents should make a claim for accident compensation for children.”
What to do now
If you’re keen to find out more about making accident claims in Manchester, just do one of the following:
TELEPHONE 01663 761 890
EMAIL [email protected]