A young boy who fell off a climbing frame onto a concrete surface in 2009 has won £7,500 in compensation from Suffolk County Council.

Jamie Griffin, now 10, was using the climbing frame in the playground at Burton End Primary School in Haverhill when the accident happened. He fell off and hit his head on the concrete slabs surrounding the equipment.

Jamie was unconscious for longer than is usual when someone is suffering from concussion. A CAT scan revealed that he had suffered a fracture to the back of his skull and a bleed into his brain, and doctors feared that he would not recover. When he did eventually regain consciousness, he was temporarily blinded but, remarkably, was able to return to school after an absence of ten weeks.

Although he appears to have made a full recovery, Jamie does have an increased risk of developing epilepsy later in life.

Jamie’s mother brought a claim against Suffolk County Council on the ground that the climbing frame should have been surrounded by an impact absorbing surface. Jamie won £7,500 for his injuries and this will be kept in trust for him until he is 18 years old. The Council has subsequently been fined £48,000 and ordered to pay £43,772 in costs after admitting six breaches of health and safety law, including the failure to protect the health and safety of children at the school.

Local authorities have the prime responsibility for health and safety in schools whilst the governing body and head teacher have specific responsibilities to manage health and safety at school level. If your child is injured in an accident at school, it is important to find out exactly what happened so that you can take appropriate action if necessary.