My Child Was Injured at School. Who Is Liable?

 Posted on October 30, 2024 in Personal Injury

When parents send their child to school, they are confident that the child will be safe there. There is an assumption that there will be responsible adults entrusted with upholding standards of conduct and that the child will be taken care of. However, school children can get injured in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons. If your child was injured at school because of unsafe conditions there, you might have a case to sue the school for damages. Speak with a seasoned Glenview, IL personal injury lawyer to learn more.

What Does Premises Liability Mean?

In Illinois, property owners have a responsibility known as premises liability to ensure that their property poses no threats that could endanger someone. When the property is a school, it is legally responsible for providing a safe environment for its students. Schools are required to maintain their facilities and ensure that students can be safe while on school property. If a school environment is unsafe and a student gets injured, liability for the injury could fall on the school.

Is the School Liable for My Child’s Injury?

If a school has an unsafe and unhealthy environment for its students and your child was injured as a result, you might have a valid case. However, personal injury cases against schools are different from cases against individuals or companies. You need to prove the following:

• There are unsafe conditions and hazards such as broken sports equipment, puddles and slippery floors, or facilities that are not cleaned or maintained. For example, you likely have a case if your son was playing on the school playground during recess and faulty equipment made him fall and get seriously hurt.
• There was inadequate supervision at the time your child was injured. If students were left unsupervised when your daughter began choking and there was no adult around to help, you might have a solid case. 
• The school acted negligently, for example by allowing staff to ignore safety regulations. If your son accidentally got stabbed with a pair of scissors in a room that failed to comply with school safety regulations requiring a refilled first aid kit in every room and his wound got infected because it could not be treated quilt enough, that would be a case of negligence leading to your child’s injury.

If a school fails to protect a student from preventable harm, or purposefully harms students, it can be held accountable.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Cook County, IL Personal Injury Lawyer

Parents trust schools to be a safe place for their children to spend most of their day. If the school is unable to keep a child safe, it needs to be held accountable and learn ways to address it. An experienced Northbrook, IL premises liability attorney  can review your case and advise you on how to fight aggressively for maximum compensation. Money cannot take away your child’s trauma from getting hurt, but it can help you pursue the best medical care to heal her injuries. Call Gruzmark Law, Ltd. at 847-729-7660 to schedule a free consultation.