uncovered manhole accident

tanmu

Hi, I don't know if I am posting this in the right place - I couldn't find a more specific forum, but I need some advice. I was out taking a walk with the kids whilst waiting for the car to be MOT'd and the kids were running along the grass at the side of the pavement (I didn't want them on the pavement because it was quite narrow and we were walking along a busy road). My 4 year old daughter stepped onto a manhole cover that wasn't properly covering the hole, it flipped and she fell right in. It was deep enough that she had to stretch her arms up for me to reach her. Naturally she was extremely shaken up (as was I!) Apart from rather a lot of grazing all over her chest, arms and under her chin (the worst of the lot), she also has a loose tooth that is chipped and another tooth from which the bottom has broken off. The loose one is causing her pain. I have had her checked out in the minor injuries unit and she is fine - we are waiting to see the dentist for her teeth later this evening. What should I do? I have taken pictures of the hole and my daughter's injuries, but no-one I spoke to at the time knows who's repsonsible for the land. It was really traumatic for us and I dread to think what her injuries could have been - we were quite 'lucky' - another child might not be.....It needs urgent attention in my opinion but I don't know whether it should be an issue for the council, the owners of the site or the agents letting the offices......everywhere is closed for the day and I'm just feeling a little stressed about it....any advice would be great!

cte1111

I would ring the council as a start off. If they are not responsible themselves, then they might well be able to give you some guidance who else to contact, or contact them themselves. If you look on your council website (e.g. townname.gov.uk), then they should have a helpline number, although it might not be until the morning.

Glad to hear your daughter wasn't too badly hurt.

tandraig

if the manhole was on the pavement then the local council should know who is responsible. take a look at the pics does it show whether its water company ie sewers? or is it drains? if latter its prob the council. if you are looking for compensation then one of the no win no fee firms may take it on (I used to work for one of them as canvasser) if not just phone council decide who is responsible for manhole cover then inform the correct person - with pics so the prob can be resolved ASAP

nzmegs

I know alot of people will say that compensation for these types of accidents is wrong - but in my belief this is exactly the sort of thing it should be for. You could say that an adult should look where they are going but a child will never think in that way. Compensation is for vulnerable people so i think you should pursue it. You certianly should expect private dental care to be paid for.

montyrebel

take better care of your children and not let them run off??just an idea

tandraig

sorry for the short post earlier - i had to go out and was bit rushed and reading over it i sound a bit abrupt - apologies
i hate to hear of kids being injured - hope she is ok?
as to the fact the manhole moved and she fell in - could you tell if cover was actually defective? i mean broken? if the cover had just been moved its difficult to say who would be at fault - it could have been some idiot just moved it for reasons unknown. even if cover is broken unless you can prove that the company or council knew about and had done nothing its also difficult to prove fault (but I would certainly try). apart from that you did the right thing by taking pics of cover and daughters face. I am going to wait now to see if you can post more info - but without knowing a bit more i dont want to spout off
btw - i agree with nzmegs - children cant be expected to think ahead and see danger!

tandraig

sh*t didnt mean to thank montyrebel. meant to thank nzmegs and montyrebels post popped up just as i went to thanks button!!!!!!!!!!!!

dealer_wins

Sorry to hear your 4 year old got injured. In the olden days this would just be dealt with as an accident, with hopefully a full recovery.

Now its .. child has accident, how much can I sue for to pay for my next car and holiday.

Halloway

But what if a child had.... oh hang on. Never mind.

gordikin

The Council are not responsible for your children...you are.

tandraig

do you previous posters know how deep some of those holes are? I hate to give OP nightmares but people have been killed down manholes. the OP hasnt said they going for compensation - but I wouldnt blame them if they did! the OP may just be trying to get something done to prevent a future accident which could have worse results. think of that before you post ignorant remarks!! and the council IS responsible for ensuring that pavements are hazard free - for gods sake kids run ahead of you - dont you have any? or dont you ever walk pavements at night when visibility is low? how would you feel if YOU fell down a manhole cos it was broken? who would be at fault? you?
oohhhhhhhhhh . when i was working I always asked 'who do you think was to blame for the accident? could it have been prevented? what do you think their defense might be? taking this into consideration - yes, i would put in their claim if someone was clearly to blame - and not the victim either!