Child Personal Injury Claims UK: Parent's Guide 2026

Overview

A personal injury claim for a child is a civil legal action brought because a person under the age of 18 has suffered harm that someone else is legally responsible for. The injury might be physical, psychological, or both, and the claim seeks financial compensation to reflect the suffering caused and the costs that flow from it.

Because children cannot conduct legal proceedings in their own name, a claim is brought on their behalf by an adult acting as a 'litigation friend' (usually a parent). Claims can arise from a wide range of situations, including road traffic accidents, injuries at school or in public places, defective products, animal attacks, and errors in medical care.

One of the most important points to understand is that the usual three-year limitation period for personal injury does not start running against a child until their 18th birthday, which gives families more breathing room than many realise. Any settlement must also be approved by a court and is typically held in trust until the child reaches adulthood.

Key steps

1. Seek medical attention and keep records. Your first priority is your child's health. Make sure the injury is properly examined and documented by a GP, hospital, or specialist. Keep copies of medical notes, prescriptions, photographs of visible injuries, and a diary of how the injury affects daily life. These records become the backbone of any later claim. 2. Identify who may be responsible. Think carefully about what happened and who might have been at fault. This could be another road user, a school, a local authority managing a playground, a business, a healthcare provider, or the owner of an animal. Note witness details, take photographs of the location, and preserve anything that might help show how the incident occurred. 3. Decide who will act as litigation friend. A litigation friend is the adult who brings the claim on the child's behalf. Usually this is a parent or guardian, but it can be another responsible adult without a conflict of interest. The litigation friend must act in the child's best interests throughout and will sign court documents on their behalf. 4. Gather evidence and assess the claim. Build a clear picture of what happened, the injuries sustained, and the impact on the child's education, hobbies, and wellbeing. You may need expert medical reports to explain the long-term effects, especially where the child is still developing. Financial losses, such as travel to appointments or specialist equipment, should be recorded too. 5. Pursue the claim and obtain court approval of any settlement. Claims can often be resolved through negotiation without a trial, but because the claimant is a child, any settlement must be approved at an 'infant approval hearing'. A judge checks that the amount is fair before signing it off. The compensation is then usually paid into the Court Funds Office and invested until the child turns 18.