School Injuries in Waldorf, MD

School Injuries

Children spend much of their time at school and are often injured during the course of their time there. Sometimes, their injuries are caused by dangerous conditions on school grounds or by the neglect or wrongdoing of teachers or other school employees. If a child’s injury is attributable to the school’s negligence, the child, with the help of his or her parents, may have a personal injury case against the school.

Common Injuries

Children can be injured by many different types of accidents while at school. They may fall on playground equipment, be injured in a playground fight, or slip and fall at recess or in gym class. Sometimes, though, injuries are caused by the school’s negligence. This may be the case if the school failed to stop bullying, if playground equipment was dangerous, if a janitor left floors wet without warning signs, or if a gym teacher did not make accommodations for a child’s asthma.

Negligence

To prove a school’s negligence, the parents must show that:

• The school had a duty to protect the child;
• The school breached that duty;
• The child suffered harm; and
• The breach of the duty caused that harm.

School’s Duties

Schools have special duties to protect their students and keep them safe. They must ensure that the school grounds are not hazardous and be responsible for the actions of their teachers and other school employees. They must make sure that teachers are properly trained and that they adequately supervise the children. School districts must also ensure that their teachers are acting appropriately and not abusing the children.

If a school or employee breaches that duty, for example, by leaving children unattended, by having defective equipment on the playground or in the classroom, or by permitting teachers to mistreat the children, and a child is injured as a result, the child may be able to recover damages from the school.

Sovereign Immunity

Because public schools are government entities, the doctrine of sovereign immunity sometimes protects school districts from lawsuits. Generally, sovereign immunity does not apply, and an injured child’s parent can sue the school district. But immunity does apply and lawsuits for personal injury will be barred if the negligent school employee was acting outside his or her official capacity or was acting with gross negligence or malice. In that case, however, the child may be able to recover damages from the negligent individual rather than the school district, though this means that the recovery will generally be smaller.

For lawsuits against public schools, there are also other requirements and limitations. The injured party must give the school district notice of the suit within 180 days of the injury, in contrast with the general three-year filing deadline for personal injury claims. Additionally, the school district’s liability is limited to $400,000 per individual. Suing a negligent private school is much less complex, as they are treated just like any other non-governmental entity.

Charles County, MD Personal Injury Lawyers that Fight for You

School district lawsuits can be tricky, and it is essential to protect our children’s best interests, so if your child has been injured because of a school’s negligence, be sure to consult with an attorney. Please contact a Maryland personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Robert R. Castro for a free initial consultation.