Are Schools Liable for Students’ Injuries?

Are Schools Liable for Students’ Injuries?

Every day, people get injured for different reasons. Some get involved in a car accident, while others slip and fall. This could happen to anyone, anywhere.

One place where people (students in particular) get hurt the most is their school. The question is: can a school be liable for a student’s injury?

They talked with Los Angeles premises liability lawyers to find out more about this problem. Here is what they had to say.

Premises Liability

It is a school’s responsibility to keep their students safe and out of danger. Whenever an accident happens on a school’s premises, the school is responsible for those injuries and students who got injured.

However, if the accident was caused by one of the students (one student intentionally hurt another), the school may not be responsible for these types of accidents.

There is an element of “foreseeability”. This means that all schools and other educational institutions have to keep an eye on “problematic” students, and those who are more likely to cause any problems to others, or to the property. At the same time, the school’s responsibility is to keep the halls cleaned and to place yellow warning signs “wet floor” when the floor has just been cleaned and is potentially dangerous.

Also, the school’s responsibility is to keep the surrounding ground safe for its students. During winter, the school is responsible for cleaning the ice and snow outside of the building, for maintaining a safe property and for keeping their students protected from cold and the elements.

Whenever someone gets injured as a result of negligence caused by the school’s workers, the injured individual may be able to legally pursue the school and seek compensation for personal injuries.

Some Exceptions

If a student gets injured on school property outside of school hours or school-sponsored events, the school will not be responsible for those injuries. In general, the school has no responsibility to supervise students or children on the playground on Saturday or Sunday, unless an event was being sponsored.

Another exception is related to sports. If the school organizes a sports event and a student gets injured while participating, the student’s parents cannot sue the school for negligence because student-athletes assume the normal risk involved in sports activities.

However, if the student got injured by slipping on ice or improperly maintained terrain, then the parents could be able to sue the school for their negligent actions and poor maintenance.

Consult With a Professional

It is always important to speak with someone who has the right knowledge and experience in dealing with these situations. If you have no one in mind, be sure to contact a Los Angeles premises liability attorneys at JML Law, A Professional Law Corporation; give them a call and schedule your free initial consultation to learn if you are able to sue your child’s school in case the child got injured.

If there are legal grounds for a lawsuit, attorneys will help you sue and secure the compensation for your child’s injuries.