If my child was injured at school who is responsible?

If my child was injured at school who is responsible? During the school year, children spend about a third of their time at school or doing school-promoted activities. Parents should reasonably believe that their children will be safe in the hands of their teachers and school administrators. However, parents often wonder who should be held liable if a child was injured at school or a school-related event. Contact our personal injury attorneys if your child is injured and you want to determine who is liable for their injuries. Besides sustaining injuries on playground equipment, school children may also get injured by participating in school sports, being exposed to food-borne illnesses, or from negligent teachers and administrators. It is estimated that a quarter of the 14 million child injuries in the U.S. each year happen at school. 

Who is liable if your child was injured?

You must first determine whether the act was intentional or due to negligence to determine who is liable for your child’s injury. An abusive teacher or fellow student, such as a bully, could cause an intentional injury. If a teacher intentionally caused harm to a student, then the school district would be held liable for not conducting a substantial background check and for hiring an irresponsible and harmful educator. If your child is being bullied, the bully's parents may be liable.  A school is expected to provide a certain level of care and attention to its students, so if it fails to meet that standard, that could be considered an act of negligence, thus making the school liable. Examples of negligence at schools are:

• Inadequate supervision by school staff, including teachers and administrators
• Inappropriate food handling by cafeteria workers that led to foodborne illness
• Inadequate emergency planning in the event of a natural disaster

Contact a New York child injury attorney

If your child was injured at school due to the negligence of teachers, administrators, or others, you could be eligible to seek justice and fair compensation for their harm. At Hach & Rose, LLP, our team will fight for you and your loved ones. Call our office at (347) 318-9604 to discuss your legal options today.