When your child is at school, you expect the school to take pride in its ability to care for your child and in its ability to keep him or her safe. One thing that can take you by surprise is a phone call stating that your child was hurt on the premises.
In some cases, the school may be negligent and can be held liable for the injuries your child suffered. For example, if there were jagged metal pieces on playground equipment that cut your child, the school may be held liable for not maintaining the equipment properly.
By law, the school has to exercise reasonable care at its facility, and that means providing a safe, healthy environment for your child. Schools are required to take extra care because they know they will be working with children. School liability isn’t restricted to situations where a child falls down the stairs or is injured on the playground.
A school can also be held liable for injuries that are as a result of bullying, harassment and other violent acts. If your child is sick and doesn’t receive aid, the school may also be held liable for that negligence.
If your child is hurt at school, you should keep any information about the accident you can, from the medical documents you receive from the hospital or your child’s doctor to the accident forms from the school office. Speak to people who were there and saw the accident, and look at where it took place. This is all important information to discuss with your attorney if you want to make a claim.
Source: FindLaw, “School Safety Legal Issues and Laws,” accessed Jan. 05, 2017