School accidents

The guardian or school staff member takes the pupil for treatment, if necessary, to the public sector (e.g., Kanta-Häme Central Hospital i.e. Ahvenisto Hospital or health centre) or to a private medical clinic.

The school secretary submits an electronic accident report for the child’s school accident to the insurance company, based on the accident report made by the teacher. An accident report is submitted to the insurance company only if:

• the city has received an invoice for a doctor’s appointment due to the accident,
• the guardian has informed the school or education services about costs incurred due to the accident. In such cases, an accident report must be submitted to the insurance company for the matter to proceed (therefore, not all accident reports made by teachers automatically result in an accident report to the insurance company).
• it is a dental injury, or
• the insurance company contacts them, for example, due to a request for a payment commitment.

The Central Hospital and private medical clinics invoice education services directly if it is a school accident. It is always important to mention this when registering. Hospital outpatient clinic fees are not charged for those under 18; only treatment fees are invoiced.

• if a pupil’s school accident occurred during their school commute or requires treatment only after the school day, the guardian is obliged to inform the school as soon as possible
• accidents occurring during the school commute are compensated, excluding accidents involving a car or other motor vehicle. In such cases, motor insurance is always the primary insurance. If motor insurance does not cover the costs, the claim will be processed under accident insurance.

If the guardian has incurred treatment costs related to a school accident, these can be claimed using the expense reimbursement form from the city’s insurance company If at www.if/fi/internetplus. Select “Public sector accidents” -> “Claim compensation from public sector accident insurance”. Instructions and a link to the application are provided under “If you or your child has an accident”.

The application requires the city’s insurance number SP4876404 (from 2023 onwards) and details of the incident.

Compensation can only be claimed for paid expenses. Original receipts do not need to be sent to the insurance company; they will be requested if necessary. If requires an electronic accident report from the city before they can process a compensation claim made by the guardian.

For larger treatment costs (e.g., MRI scans), a payment commitment can be requested in advance. The treating doctor applies for the payment commitment with a medical statement. The contact details for the payment commitment processing team at If are tel. 010 19 17 15 and maksusitoumuskasittely@if.fi. Further information regarding claims can be obtained by email at personal@if.fi or by phone at 010 19 17 15.

The guardian will receive a decision from the insurance company by post once the compensation claim has been processed.

In cases of dental accidents, the pupil is primarily directed to the dental clinic at their school’s local health centre; the use of a private dental clinic is also covered.

Dentists record accident information in the patient’s medical record, but a separate accident statement is not provided to the patient, school, or insurance company, unless specifically requested by the insurance company. In such cases, it can be sent directly to the insurance company, provided the patient’s permission has been obtained.

If the dental visit was at a private medical clinic or a hospital emergency department, the guardian must themselves request that the dentist’s statement be sent to the child’s school for the insurance company.

If a pupil needs to travel to school, e.g., by taxi, due to a school accident, the city is obliged to arrange the transport. In such cases, an electronic school transport application must be completed in Wilma and submitted with attachments (expert statement and timetable) to education services.