Kids Soft Play Centre Accident Claims Guide – How To Claim Compensation For Childs Personal Injury Claim Against A Soft Play Centre? A

Kids soft play centre play centre accident claims

Kids soft play centre

By Joanne Jeffries. Updated August 3rd 2021. Welcome to our guide on play centre accident claims. On this web page, you will read a guide to making a kids soft play centre accident claim. We offer a No Win No Fee claims service to parents and guardians of children who have been injured in such incidents. This is a simple, yet effective way for you to have your claim processed, at no financial risk to yourself. This guide is intended as a primer, that will explain the legal and financial considerations of making a claim.

You may have questions about your own play centre accident claims, that are not answered by this guide. No two play centre accident claims are unique, and although we have attempted to cover the claims process in broad terms, talking about duty of care and so forth, your claim might have unique aspects that this guide did not take into account. If this is so, please speak to a member of our claims team on 0800 073 8801. They will answer your questions for you.

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A Guide To Claims For Accidents At Kids Soft Play Centres

If your child has sustained soft play injuries due to a soft play accident, then this guide will help you learn about the process of making a compensation claim on their behalf. A soft play centre is designed to be a safe place for children to have fun and get exercise. To answer the question, what is a soft play area? these kinds of play centres are designed to minimise child accident hazards. There are no sharp edges, and all play apparatus is made from soft, pliable materials. Furthermore, the floor is padded. However, accidents can still happen, even though the operators of the play centre have gone to great measures to provide a safe environment for children to play in.

The first part of this guide gives a grounding in several of the key legal considerations when making such a claim. We will look at why a person might be eligible to make a claim, and also how liability is established and apportioned. We also introduce the concept of a “litigation friend”, and how a parent or guardian will make the claim on behalf of the child.

The middle part of this guide looks at examples of how children could be injured during play, and why the play centre operator might be liable to pay compensation in such cases. Each example is given its own section, which details the hazards that could cause such an accident.

The final part of this guide relates to the financial aspects of making a claim. We look at how the severity of a child’s injuries will often drive the amount of compensation received. You will also find a list of some of the kinds of damages that any settlement your child receives could be made up of. We have also provided a table, that details compensation ranges for a number of different kinds of injuries. In this part of the guide, we will also discuss the national claims service we offer to parents and guardians all across the UK. This is a simple to use service, that can help you to get your child the compensation they are eligible for. One thing to note, though, is that you will need to begin your claim within the personal injury claims time limit, which is generally three years from the time the accident took place. In some special cases, this time limit can be different. We recommend that you speak to one of our claim advisors, to learn what time limit may apply in your own case.

What Is An Accident At A Kids Soft Play Centre?

Whenever a child is injured in an accident at a soft play centre, it could be possible for their parent or guardian to act as a litigation friend, and make a compensation claim on the child’s behalf. However, the key factor here, is that the operator of the play centre must have been responsible for the cause of the accident in some way. Only then could the child be eligible for compensation. To demonstrate this, consider the following two examples:

  1. A child is playing on a piece of apparatus in the play centre, and some of the protective soft covering has come away from the apparatus. This causes the child to be cut on a sharp edge that has been exposed.
  2. A child is playing in a soft play centre, and runs into another child, resulting in both children falling down, and the first child spraining their arm.

In the first example, they play equipment has not been maintained to a safe standard, and this has caused an injury to the child. In this case, the owner of the play centre could be liable to pay compensation. In the second example, the two children involved in the accident caused the incident themselves, with the accident in no way influenced by the environment they were playing in. In this case, it is unlikely that the owner of the play centre could be proven to be liable for the incident.

In some cases, the child might have contributed to the cause of the accident in some way. For example, they were using a piece of poorly maintained equipment in an inappropriate manner. Had they not been acting inappropriately; the accident likely would not have happened. However, due to the fact the play equipment was faulty, the child sustained more harm than they should have. In this case, the play centre still shares some of the blame, and they would be pursued for damages at a reduced percentage of liability.

Health And Safety Guidelines For Soft Play Centres

All operators of soft play centres, are obliged by law, to ensure that the centre is safe for the use that it is intended at all times. There are specific H&S regulations that govern children’s play area safety, and very strict safety standards that must be met. For example:

  • Both daily safety checks done by members of staff, and annual safety checks carried out by an independent third party.
  • The play centre should be kept clean at all times, and non-hazardous cleaning materials and supplies must be used.
  • All staff should be trained in safety to the appropriate level based upon their job role.
  • Play equipment should be purchased and installed by suppliers and contractors who are members of the Association of Play Industries (API).

These rules apply to every play centre and are not optional. If the owner of a play centre fails in these duties, leading to a child being injured, they could be liable to pay compensation.

Who Could Claim Compensation For Injuries To A Child – Litigation Friends

When a child is injured at soft play, they could be eligible for compensation, if the play centre owner is liable for the accident. However, a child is unable to make a claim. Anybody who is under the age of 18 will need a “litigation friend” to represent them during the legal process, and make all decisions about the claim that need to be made.

For a child, the litigation friend will generally be one of the child’s parents, or their legal guardian. However, there is no hard and fast rule that says that it must be a family member that acts as the litigation friend.

How Could A Child Be Injured In A Soft Play Centre?

In the sections below, we will look at some of the ways that a child could be injured at a soft play centre, that could result in a personal injury solicitor processing a claim. This includes:

  • Slips, trips and falls.
  • Accidents that have been caused by damaged facilities and apparatus.
  • Negligence on the part of the play centre owner.

No matter how your child has come to harm, if the play centre owner is to blame, we could be able to help you claim.

Slip And Fall Accidents

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common forms of accident that personal injury lawyers process personal injury claims for each year. These often-serious accidents can be caused by hazards in a playground such as:

  • Rips or tears in the padded floor covering.
  • Toys that have been left on the floor.
  • Drinks or food spilt by other children.
  • Climbing ropes that have come away from the equipment.

No matter how your child’s slip, trip or fall accident happens, if the owner of the play centre is to blame, you could have a valid reason to claim.

Accidents Caused By Damaged Facilities

The regulations for children’s play area include provision for ensuring that the soft play equipment is maintained to a safe standard. Poorly maintained facilities can pose risks such as:

  • Floor padding that has been damaged.
  • Sharp edges exposed due to torn soft coverings.
  • Frayed or badly tied play ropes, causing a fall.
  • Loose plastic coverings causing suffocation.

These are just a few examples of how damaged facilities at a soft play centre can cause harm to a child; there are more. If the owner of the play centre is to blame for the harm a child suffered, we could be able to help you claim.

Negligence In Accidents At A Soft Play Centre

Every owner of a soft play centre, is bound by multiple levels of legislation, including Health & Safety regulations and the Occupier’s Liability Act 1984, to provide a safe play environment. When the owner fails to comply with all of these regulations, and this harms a child, then it could be deemed that negligence has occurred. If it can be proven that the operator has been negligent in such a manner, and this negligence led directly or indirectly to a child being harmed, then a valid reason to make a claim could exist.

How Seriously Injured Was Your Child?

When a personal injury lawyer processes a claim on behalf of a litigation friend representing an injured child, then the severity of the injury sustained, as well as its effect on the life of the child, are important factors.

For example, if a young child suffers a grave injury such as brain damage, that will seriously affect the quality of their life until death, then the amount of compensation paid could be quite high. Therefore, it is vital that you have your child’s injuries treated at the hospital. As this will ensure that they have been officially documented, and this documentation can be used as evidence.

What Compensation Could My Child Be Eligible To Claim?

If your personal injury lawyer is successful in processing your claim, you could receive a number of different types of damages as part of your settlement, for example:

  • General damages:
    • Loss of quality of life.
    • Pain and suffering.
    • Shock and trauma.
    • Permanent or long-term disabilities.
    • Long recovery period.
    • Psychological damage.
  • Special damages:
    • Travel costs.
    • Care costs.
    • Loss of prospects in the future.
    • Loss of your current earnings.
    • Medical fees.

Speak to a member of our claims team to learn which kinds of damages might be available for your own claim.

Personal Injury Claims Calculator For Kids Soft Play Centre Accident Claims – Updated July 2021

You could make use of a personal injury claims calculator to get a rough idea of the total you might be able to claim. You can also use this lookup table below to do the same:

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Injury How Severe? Potential Compensation Notes
Hand injury Minor to serious Up to £189,110 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from cuts and bruises, through soft tissue damage and fractures, to paralysis or amputation of the hands.
Wrist injury Minor to severe Up to £56,180 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from lacerations, bruising, etc. through strains and sprains as well as fractures, to some level of loss of use of the wrist.
Arm injury Moderate to severe Up to £128,710 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from damage to the skin of the arm including burns, abrasions, cuts, etc. through off forms of soft tissue injury and fractures, to either some level of loss of use of the arm, or amputation.
Finger injury Minor to severe Up to £23,460 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from damage to the skin of the fingers (cuts, scrapes, burns, etc.) through STI, dislocations and fractures, to amputation of one or more fingers.
Thumb injury Minor to severe Up to £51,460 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from damage to the skin of the thumbs (cuts, scrapes, burns, etc.) through STI, dislocations and fractures, to amputation of one or both thumbs.
Back injury Minor to severe Up to £151,070 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from damaged skin on the back, such as cuts, bruises, scrapes, etc. through soft tissue injuries such as strains and sprains, as well as damage to the vertebrae, to some level of loss of use of the back.
Neck injury Minor to severe Up to £139,210 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from damaged skin on the back, such as cuts, bruises, scrapes, etc. through soft tissue injuries such as strains and sprains, as well as damage to the vertebrae, to some level of loss of use of the neck.
Toe injury Moderate to severe Up to £52,620 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from damage to the skin of the toes (cuts, scrapes, burns, etc.) through STI, dislocations and fractures, to amputation of one or more toes.
Ankle injury Minor to very severe Up to £65,420 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from lacerations, bruising, etc. through strains and sprains as well as fractures, to some level of loss of use of the ankle.
Foot injury Minor to very severe Up to £189,110 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from cuts and bruises, through soft tissue damage and fractures, to paralysis or amputation of the feet
Leg injury Minor to severe Up to £264,650 The child will have sustained injuries ranging from damage to the skin of the leg including burns, abrasions, cuts, etc. through off forms of soft tissue injury and fractures, to either some level of loss of use of the leg, or amputation of both legs.

Speak to a member of our claims team to get a more accurate indication of the level of compensation you could be able to claim.

What Should I Do If My Child Had A Kids Soft Play Centre Accident?

If your child has been injured in an accident at a soft play centre, there are steps you can take in preparation for making a claim, such as:

  • Make sure you have followed the play centre owner’s procedure for reporting the accident.
  • Take photographs of the cause of the accident.
  • Ask any witnesses to the accident for their contact details.
  • Take your child to the hospital to have their injuries checked over and treated.

No Win No Fee Claims For An Accident At A Kids Soft Play Centre

When you use our No Win No Fee claims service, you won’t be exposed to any financial risk at all. We only take a fee when we have received a compensation payment for you, and we will deduct it automatically from the money we receive. This means we don’t charge to take on a new claim, and we don’t charge as we process the claim. We also don’t charge if we don’t get you any compensation.

How Accident Claims UK Could Help You Claim on Behalf Of A Child

When you select us to process your personal injury claim for you, then you are assured of several things, including:

  • Regular updates about the status of your claim.
  • An answer, in plain English with no legal jargon, to any questions about your claim that you have.
  • Our best efforts in striving to achieve a successful outcome for your claim.
  • An assurance that we will always try to get you the highest level of compensation that we can.

Speak to a member of our claims team on the number below, to learn more about our service offering.

Contact Accident Claims Today

Has your child been injured while having fun at a soft play centre? Do you believe that the owner of the play centre was to blame in some way? If so, give us a call on 0800 073 8801 to find out if you have a valid claim. One of our claims team will go over your claim with you, and inform you of your legal options, before offering you some free legal advice on what to do next.

Help And Related Links

You may find these related guides elsewhere on this site to be useful:

How to make child injury claims

A guide to claiming for playground accidents

These external links have useful additional information:

Safety for playground operators

Information about being a litigation friend

FAQ about play centre accident claims

How long could I have to claim for play centre accident claims?

Whether your child has suffered a head injury in a slip, trip or fall incident or been hurt by faulty equipment, you would usually have until your child turns 18 to make a claim on their behalf. Should you not have claimed within this period, your child could claim once they reach adulthood, and they would usually have up until they turn 21 to claim.

Could I claim if I’m injured as an adult in a play centre?

While this guide focuses on claiming on behalf of an injured child, you could also claim if the owner/operators negligence has led to you suffering an injury in a soft play centre. You would normally have 3 years from the accident date to claim. However, some exceptions could apply, especially if your mental capacity has been affected by the accident and your injuries.

How common are play centre accident claims?

According to ROSPA, there are around 40,000 children who suffer injuries each year in playgrounds (both indoor and outdoor). It is not known how many of these have led to personal injury claims, but these figures do highlight the risks. It is essential, therefore, that owners and operators of such premises do all that they can to reduce the risks to children and adults using these facilities. ROSPA highlights that poor equipment design, unsuitable equipment, poor maintenance and incorrect installation are some of the top reasons for such accidents.

Source: https://www.rospa.com/play-safety/advice/playground-accidents

Thank you for reading our guide on play centre accident claims.