If your child suffers an injury in a road traffic accident, it’s more than just a moment of panic. The worry, the uncertainty and the hospital visits can quickly feel overwhelming.
Your child’s recovery remains the priority. You also need clear answers about what happens next and how you can file accident claims for your children.
When someone else’s actions cause your child’s injury, you should not have to navigate the legal process alone.
At Claim Time Solicitors, we understand how emotionally and legally difficult this time can be. That’s why we explain things clearly and keep the legal process simple. This guide explains what you need to know about child accident claims after you have suffered a road accident in the UK.
Table of Contents
Key takeaways:
- Child road traffic accidents create immediate distress, requiring both medical care and legal clarity
- Over 1,250 child pedestrians suffer serious injuries yearly, showing an ongoing risk on UK roads
- Where another party is at fault, your child has a clear legal right to compensation
- Parents or guardians must act as litigation friends, taking responsibility for the claim process
- Delays in action can weaken evidence and reduce the strength of your child’s claim
- Compensation supports recovery, covering medical needs, development impact, and future care
- Early legal advice ensures the protection of your child’s rights and the correct next steps
Understanding child accident claims
If someone else causes a road traffic accident that injures your child, your child is entitled to compensation. In the legal world, it is known as a child accident claim.
A parent, guardian or close family member can bring the claim to cover medical costs and long-term effects.
Compensation may include:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of normal childhood activities
- Effects on education or development
Children under 18 cannot start legal proceedings themselves. A parent or other family member acts as a litigation friend and can make a claim on behalf of the child.
Children and road traffic accidents in the UK
Road traffic accidents involving children remain a serious concern across the UK. Despite ongoing safety efforts, the numbers show little real improvement. According to the Department for Transport, there were around 128,000 reported road casualties in 2024. This included more than 1,600 fatalities and nearly 29,467 people killed or seriously injured.
Provisional figures for 2025 show a similar pattern. Fatalities fell slightly to around 1,579, suggesting progress in road safety has slowed.
Children continue to face heightened risk, particularly as pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers. Limited road awareness and their smaller physical size can make injuries far more severe when collisions occur. Recent data shows that more than 1,250 child pedestrians sustained serious injuries in a single year. Hundreds of young cyclists and car passengers also suffered life-changing injuries.
These figures show a clear pattern. The risk on UK roads for children remains high and unresolved.
How do road traffic accidents affect children?
Children may suffer injuries as pedestrians, cyclists, passengers or while travelling on school transport. Their limited road awareness and smaller physical size can increase the severity of injuries when collisions occur.
Where another party is at fault, child accident claims may provide financial support for recovery and long-term effects. Experienced road traffic accident solicitors can manage the legal process, enabling families to focus on their child’s recovery.
What to do after a child’s road traffic accident
After a child accident, act quickly to protect your child’s health and any future claim:
- Seek medical attention, even if injuries seem minor.
- Report the incident to the police so they can begin the road traffic accident investigation procedure.
- Gather evidence, including photographs and witness details.
- Keep records of medical treatment and expenses.
- Obtain legal advice before speaking with insurers.
Early action helps preserve evidence and strengthen your child’s injury claim.
How much is a child’s road traffic accident claim worth?
A child’s road traffic accident claim value depends on how serious the injury is and how long the effects last.
As a general guide:
- Minor injuries – lower levels of compensation
- Broken bones – moderate compensation depending on recovery
- Head injuries – higher compensation where long-term effects are present
Accident compensation covers more than the physical injury. Damages claimed for a child may include pain and suffering, medical costs, rehabilitation, future care and educational impact.
Each case depends on medical evidence. Our Claim Value Estimator provides an initial estimate, but a professional assessment remains important.
How long do you have to make a claim?
Time limits for child accident claims differ from those that apply to adults.
Under UK limitation rules, a child has three years from the date they reach the age of 18 to begin a claim. Proceedings must start within three years of their 18th birthday and before they turn 21.
Starting a claim sooner is often advisable. Early action helps preserve evidence, secure medical assessments and strengthen the case.
If you are unsure about time limits, seek injury legal advice early.
Why choose Claim Time Solicitors for your child’s accident claim?
Managing child personal injury claims involves legal procedures, medical evidence and negotiations with insurers that require careful handling.
A specialist solicitor can ensure the claim is properly prepared and supported by appropriate evidence. Claim Time Solicitors offers representation on a No Win No Fee basis. Our expert injury team includes experienced road traffic accident solicitors who manage the legal process and prepare each injury compensation claim accurately.
Professional representation helps protect your child’s interests throughout the personal injury claim.
How the claims process works
Child accident claims usually follow these stages:
- A litigation friend is appointed to act on the child’s behalf.
- Solicitors obtain medical evidence to assess the injury and long-term impact.
- The claim includes compensation for pain and suffering and financial losses.
- Negotiations take place with the insurer.
- If the child is under 18, a court must approve any settlement at an Infant Approval Hearing.
Most child accident and injury claims settle without a full trial.
Ready to start your claim?
If your child suffers an injury in a road accident, get legal advice early. It can help you understand your options and protect your child’s claim.
Claim Time Solicitors can assess your case and guide you through the process. Most claims run on a No Win No Fee basis, so there is no financial risk to you. You can use our Claim Checker or call 0800 970 2727 for clear, confidential advice.
FAQs
What happens to my child’s compensation after we settle the claim?
If your child is under 18, the court places compensation in a court-controlled account until the age of 18. This protects the funds for your child’s benefit.
The court can release funds early for medical treatment, rehabilitation, specialist equipment or educational support.
What if the driver says the accident was partly my child’s fault?
Insurers may argue that a child contributed to the accident. Courts do not assess children by adult standards and consider the child’s age and understanding.
An experienced personal injury solicitor, also called an injury lawyer, can challenge unfair allegations.
Will making a claim affect the driver personally?
In most cases, the driver’s insurer pays the compensation. A claim seeks financial support for your child’s injuries, not punishment.
If the driver has no insurance or authorities cannot trace them, you can claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.
Can I claim for an accident after 3 years?
In most personal injury cases, claims must begin within three years of the accident. However, child accident claims follow different rules. You can usually make a claim up to three years after the child turns 18, meaning you can start proceedings before they reach 21.