It is hard to imagine anything that is more alarming than getting a call from your school telling you that your child has been injured. However, if this ever happens, you should know what to do. When you put your child on the school bus in the morning, you are putting your trust in the adults at school.
If your child attends public school, you should be on guard because some schools are overloaded. When your child is injured while at school, it is natural that you will want to find out who is responsible. You need to find out several things before you decide whether you should sue.
Accidents at School
As soon as your child enters the school gates, he or she is under the care of the school staff. However, your child might end up suffering injuries because of someone else’s negligence. Here are some types of accidents that might happen:
– School bus accidents
– Field trip accidents
– Assault or bullying
– Slip and fall accidents on school property
Injuries on the Playground
These are the most common injuries for many school children. In fact, your child is most likely to get involved in a slip and fall accident while on the playground. Although most playground injuries are just accidents, they might also result from the negligence of a staff member.
Can You Sue a School?
Suing a school for negligence is not easy, but it is possible. When the school fails to perform its duty of keeping your child safe, you should hold them accountable. If the principal acted in negligence, you should hold the school board responsible. You just need to hire a personal injury lawyer to help you to navigate the tricky world of insurance claims, court rules, and legal terms.
Was the Act Negligent or Intentional?
Before finding out who is responsible for an accident, you need to figure out whether it was negligent. Intentional torts usually include bullying and abuse by an adult. When it comes to bullying, the people liable for the injury are the parents of the bully, but it also depends on the harassment circumstances. The school might be held liable if it knew about the bullying, but did nothing to stop it.
According to the owner of https://koonz.com, if a school employee is the wrongdoer, the school district might be held responsible for failing to conduct a good background check.
Types of Acts that Constitute Negligence by a School
While your children are at school, the school usually provides for his/her needs as much as you do. The school provides food, shelter, and transportation, and this open many doors for failure. Here are a few scenarios showing where legal responsibility might lie:
A School Bus Accident
– Improper training of drivers by your school district
– Negligence of the bus driver
– Negligence of the other party involved in the collision
– Poorly designed bus
Playground Injury
– Lack of proper supervision by the teachers
– Defective equipment in the playground
Food Poisoning
– Tainted food provided by a vendor or manufacturer
– Improper food storage or preparation by the school staff
Slip and Fall Accident
– A loose handrail that was installed or maintained poorly might cause a slip and fall accident
– A fall on snow or ice that results from the school’s failure to clear sidewalks
Exposure to Asbestos
– This might happen in older buildings if the school fails to remove asbestos substances or close down the structure
Injuries from Natural Disasters
– Failure to carry out proper evacuation during disasters
– Inadequate emergency preparedness