Real Life MMD: My son broke boy's glasses - should I pay?
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No! They fought, you have been to school. Now it is over. Time their child learned to take responsibility. Time they took responsibility for their child. Next they will be looking for a pot hole to fall down. If they truly can't afford glasses there will indeed be glasses provided for them on the NHS (just not RayBans). Don't do it! ...And you just saved £25!0
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I don't think you should pay as
1 both children were responsible
2 the glasses weren't newish
3 The school is being harassed by the parents & they are aware of the bullying and are trying to get rid of the problem by getting you to appease the parents0 -
Disregarding the potential option of Specsavers replacing a complete of set spectacles, frames and glasses for free (lucky them, however, I don't believe it's quite that easy...), fact is that child broke another child's glasses, and parents should still take responsibility for their children's actions until they reach the age of 16, shouldn't they? It seems a bit odd that a parent wouldn't want to take responsibility and pass that message on to their child, in order for them not to do it again. Seems a very small price to pay to teach a very valuable lesson.0
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My daughters each went through a phase of breaking their specs - not deliberately - they were just very young and clumsy when they first wore them. On each occasion, I simply too them to the opticians and they were repaired or replaced free of charge. This family are scamming you - don't pay a penny. And report the older brother for bullying.0
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If the child whos glasses are broken is under 16 living in the uk the opticians practice he attends will be able to issue the parents with a gos 3 voucher which means the nhs would cover the cost of "free" nhs specs. If the parents originally paid for any extra coatings or frames then the nhs would not cover these and there would be an extra charge to replace them, Here I feel there is a responsibility to share the cost.
However its highly unlikely that the total cost would amount to more than £40 for extras (unless it was a designer frame etc then the cost could be higher) If in doubt ask for them to provide you with a receipt and go from there (I would ask them to provide the frame code and lens type so if you think they are pulling a fast one you can check it out with the opticians themselves!)0 -
I am afraid that by law you are at least 50% responsible. As your son is a minor any actions he takes you automatically become responsible for. While I understand that this was an accident the glasses were broken during a fight.
The same principle in law would apply from something as simple if you were angry and arguing with your neighbour and while in the course of a physical argument you broke a garden ornament. While you may not have intended to do so you are still responsible for your actions as is your son in regards to the broken glasses.
However that being said you could argue that the school had a responsiblity of care for both children and should not have allowed the fight to occur in the first place you would have to seek damages from the school however the parents of the other child have no obligation to do so.
While you may be able to argue in court that the other boy should not have been fighting at best you might get a reduction in costs depending on how a judge apportions blame, you could also ask for the cost of an NHS optical voucher to be considered when assessing damages however the value of such a voucher is less than £40 and many childrens glasses are much more expensive.0 -
This is a good advice website and would suggest your son would be unlikely to be found liable (assuming he isn't a teenager) In fact the school is most likely to be held liable for failure to supervise.
Apparently I cant post links - its the citizens advice bureau website and its on damaging neighbours property follow...- England
- Home and Neighbourhood
- Problems where you live
- Neighbour disputes
Personally I would ask to see a copy of the receipt for the repair / replacements and then would pay half as a matter or goodwill / being a reasonable person assuming that the glasses are more expensive than the NHS allows for.
Oh and I would expect the bullying to be stopped both by the school and the parents PDQ0 -
Sounds like you're going to pay for it either way if it's free on the NHS.0
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Seriously, why in Britain in the 21st Century is the government using taxes to give children 'free' glasses? Britons are amongst the richest people in the world. I presume this parental perk is open to all parents regardless of income?!
It's quite ridiculous that the government should be responsible for buying, repairing and replacing children's glasses.0 -
which law are you referring too and do you have case law where the law has been tested?I am afraid that by law you are at least 50% responsible. As your son is a minor any actions he takes you automatically become responsible for. While I understand that this was an accident the glasses were broken during a fight.
The same principle in law would apply from something as simple if you were angry and arguing with your neighbour and while in the course of a physical argument you broke a garden ornament. While you may not have intended to do so you are still responsible for your actions as is your son in regards to the broken glasses.
However that being said you could argue that the school had a responsiblity of care for both children and should not have allowed the fight to occur in the first place you would have to seek damages from the school however the parents of the other child have no obligation to do so.
While you may be able to argue in court that the other boy should not have been fighting at best you might get a reduction in costs depending on how a judge apportions blame, you could also ask for the cost of an NHS optical voucher to be considered when assessing damages however the value of such a voucher is less than £40 and many childrens glasses are much more expensive.
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