When a child sustains an injury at school, whether it’s in a daycare facility, on a school playground, or on any other school-owned property, saying “kids will be kids” just isn’t enough. There’s a very good chance that injury occurred due to some sort of negligence on the part of an adult. If this is the case, then the parents of that child may be able to take legal action.
At Sand Law, our attorneys have a great deal of experience helping parents obtain compensation for school injuries their children suffered. We know how to handle this type of case, and we know how to get results on behalf of our clients. If you would like to learn more, or you’d like to schedule a free case review, please contact us online or give us a call at (651) 291-7263.
Types of School Injuries
Children love to play, of course, but sometimes things can get way too rough, leading to a severe injury. If your child has suffered one of these injuries, it’s very likely that it won’t take long before their medical bills start to mount.
- Muscle sprains and pulls. These are among the most common injuries that children will experience on a playground, or in some other type of school setting. Thankfully, these injuries will typically heal on their own with little treatment other than elevation and ice.
- Cuts and bruises. While bruises are usually fairly minor, cuts can be anything but. If a cut is deep enough, it can cause severe muscle and ligament damage. There is also the risk of infection if the cut isn’t addressed quickly, and continually treated until it heals.
- Joint dislocations. A dislocated knee or shoulder is an injury that must be treated as quickly as possible. This will limit the risk of permanent damage to a minimum. There are some instances where a dislocation is so serious, physical rehabilitation will be needed for an extended period of time.
- Broken bones. Unfortunately, when children run there’s always a chance they could have a hard fall and break a bone as a result. As long as the break is clean, and the child receives prompt medical attention, the chances are good the injury will completely heal. If, however, the bone is broken in multiple places, that could result in permanent damage.
- Head injuries. This is obviously one of the most concerning kinds of injuries that can occur on a school’s property. A traumatic brain injury can have a lifelong impact, making it difficult for the child to perform even the most basic tasks.
What to do After Your Child is Injured at School
It will be very understandable if you feel a sense of panic after hearing your child has been hurt on school property. But if you can keep your head, that will not only help you but also your child. If your child sees you’re scared, that could make things even worse. Try to keep the following in mind if you are in this situation.
- Find out what happened to your child. If it was a deliberate injury, they may be hesitant to say anything. Children may be fearful that whoever caused the injury will retaliate. But it will be important to calmly ask your child what happened so that you can determine your next steps.
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if you think your child isn’t badly hurt. There are many types of severe injuries that don’t seem to be that serious at first glance. A doctor may also be able to get a little more information as to why the school injury occurred.
- Speak to someone at the school to ask for details of the accident. Observe closely for any kinds of inconsistencies between what the school employee says, and what your child said.
- Finally, speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as you can. A legal representative can get to the bottom of what happened. And they’ll tell you if you have grounds to file a lawsuit.
Potential Liable Parties
Parents of children who suffer a severe school injury will typically want to file a lawsuit – they just don’t know who to sue. The answer largely depends on whether the school is public or private.
If it’s a public school, then you will likely be suing the school district. But since this is a governmental entity, this will be a very complex case to win. If the school is private, you will be taking action against the organization that runs the school and owns the property. Regardless of who owns the property, you’ll still need an attorney on your side to have the best possible chance of achieving a positive result.
Negligent Supervision and Security
If someone was supposed to be supervising your child, and an accident occurred anyway, that person could face liability for negligent supervision. This could be, for instance, a physical education teacher who wasn’t paying close enough attention to children playing too rough during PE. Or, it could be a playground attendant who wasn’t watching when a child fell from a see-saw, or some other type of play structure.
Contact Sand Law to Start Your School Injury Claim
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the skilled, experienced attorneys with Sand Law if your child has been hurt, and you believe negligence played a role. We will listen to the details of your case, and then let you know how we may be able to help.
We can perform an investigation into the accident to determine why it happened and who was to blame. Once we do that, we can recommend the best course of action to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Get in touch with us as soon as you can to schedule a free consultation. You can use our online form or call 651-291-7263.