Students spend about 12 years of their life in school, spending about a quarter of their time in school. Laws and courts have determined that schools have an implicit duty of care to the children they teach, and this care covers the time that children spend on school property and in the care of school authorities (on field trips and other school activities away from school grounds).
Nothing is more upsetting to a parent than the idea that their child may be injured while at school. Yet, each year children sustain serious head injuries in Homestead and other communities as well as fractures, eye injuries and countless other injuries. These injuries occur due to sports-related injuries, violence and bullying, slip and fall accidents in Homestead, and many other causes.
If your child is injured at school or during a school-related activity, you will want to get answers about what has happened. You will want to meet with school authorities to review the incident and to find out what occurred and what steps are being taken to prevent further injury.
In addition to speaking with a school, parents should speak with their doctors about the injury. Not only is it important to get documentation about the injury, but in some cases a seemingly small injury can turn out to be much more serious than initially thought. A soft tissue injury, for example, may turn out to be painful for the child for months.
In some cases, schools are reluctant to provide specific information about an incident because they fear legal action or are not sure what led to an injury. In many situations like these, parents decide to turn to a personal injury attorney in Homestead or their community to act as an advocate and to get answers. A personal injury lawyer can investigate the situation and can give parents legal advice about their options. In cases where negligence was a factor, parents may choose to pursue a personal injury claim in Homestead or their community. This can help secure compensation so that parents can pay for:
• Medical costs for their child
• Income replacement
• Tutoring and schooling costs for a child who has lost time at school
Whether or not you have a legal claim will depend on the specifics of the situation. Courts do consider that children sometimes take risks in play and for this, schools are generally not held liable. However, in situations where a school did not provide adequate supervision or otherwise acted in a negligent manner, there may be a case. The best way to determine your options is to speak with a local personal injury attorney who can listen to the specifics of your situation and can help you understand your rights.
Are you looking for a personal injury attorney in Homestead or anywhere in South Florida? The Flaxman Law Group is part of the Homestead community and also has three offices across the region. Contact the full-service law firm today to arrange your free, no obligation case review.