Non-accidental Injuries Solicitors in Gloucester
If one of your children or a child you have care of is injured, Social Services may become involved if they are concerned the injury did not happen accidentally. They will normally assess the circumstances surrounding the injury and may start court proceedings, particularly if they believe the injury may have been caused deliberately or through poor parenting.
Whether this is your first time dealing with Social Services or you have dealt with them before, we understand that these proceedings can be confusing and very distressing. Our non-accidental injury solicitors are highly experienced in handling these types of cases and can offer a reassuring, sensitive but practical approach, helping you to tell your side of the story and ensure a fair outcome.
No matter what your situation, we can provide skilled legal advice, support and representation to ensure you are treated fairly and that your child’s best interests stay protected.
Speak to one of our non-accidental injury solicitors now by calling 0800 158 4147 or request a call back and a member of our team will be in touch promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions about non-accidental injuries
What is considered a non-accidental injury?
A non-accidental injury is one caused by a parent’s or carer’s actions or neglect. The injuries could be things like a broken bone, bruising, a skull fracture, bleeding on the brain or bleeding behind the eyes. All of these types of injuries and many others require specialist medical experts to look at the injuries and to consider how they might have been caused.
Why would Social Services believe a child’s injury was not accidental?
Sometimes if a child has suffered an injury and you have taken the child to see your GP or have taken your child to hospital, the hospital can inform social services of the injury. They do this if they are concerned about how the injury occurred, for example, they might feel the explanation you have given for how the injury happened does not fit with the actual injury, there may have been a delay in seeking medical attention or they may be worried that no explanation has been given about how the injury was caused.
Concerns can also be raised by teachers, social workers or other members of the public if they are worried about an injury or injuries a child has experienced, especially if a child has a history of injury.
What happens if Social Services believe your child may have a non-accidental injury?
Social services will look at the circumstances and take advice from the medical professionals who provided treatment about what has happened.
If there are concerns about the child’s safety or other children who live with your family, social services might start court proceedings.
If you are a parent of a child you will be part of those court proceedings and you are entitled to free legal aid to have a solicitor represent you within those court proceedings.
How can a solicitor help with non-accidental injuries?
As part of the court proceedings, we would look at having experts consider the injuries in question and the explanations that you have given about how the injuries were caused. We would also look at whether there are any medical problems with your child that might have caused the injury or made the child more likely to suffer an injury.
Why choose Tayntons non-accidental injury solicitors?
Tayntons’ non-accidental injuries team is led by Gemma Candlish, a highly experienced solicitor with a strong track record of success acting for families under a variety of challenging circumstances. Gemma is a member of the Law Society’s Children Law Panel and regularly acts for families dealing with Social Services, including where children are at risk of being removed from their parents.
Our experience and expertise mean we can identify all of the relevant factors quickly, then confidently represent your interests, helping to establish a true picture of the circumstances surrounding your child’s injury.
We promise to listen to you carefully and take the time to understand what happened so we can help you put your side of the story across clearly and give you the best possible representation if your case does go to court.
We will explain the legal issues involved and your options in plain English, making sure you are clear about the situation and what to expect. We will then make sure to keep you informed at every stage of proceedings, so you never feel left in the dark about what is happening or how the case is progressing.
In most cases, we can represent non-accidental injury clients on a legal aid basis, meaning you will not have to pay for our services out of your own pocket. Please speak to us about this when you first get in touch so we can explain how this works.
Tayntons’ dedication to practice management and client care has seen us awarded with the Law Society’s Lexel Accreditation for excellence.
Get in touch with our non-accidental injury solicitors in Gloucester
For help with non-accidental injury claims anywhere in the UK, please contact our expert legal team based in Gloucester today by calling 0800 158 4147, emailing us at info@tayntons.co.uk or requesting a call back.