Common Causes of Child Injuries at School

Did Your Child Suffer From Injuries at School? Contact a Los Angeles Child Injury Attorney Today

There are several types of injuries that a child can potentially sustain while they are at school. Unfortunately, these injuries can be tragic and even cause fatalities. These types of accidents are so concerning, as parents hope and trust that their children will be safe under the care of teachers and other school staff. However, if your child was involved in an accident while they were at school, their injuries can affect them for the rest of their life. As a parent, you have the ability to pursue justice and compensation against the school for their negligence; however, keep in mind that these cases are extremely complicated and require a credible child injury lawyer Los Angeles.

What Are Common Causes of Children’s Injuries at School?
It is the school’s duty and the teacher’s duty to make sure that students are protected from any accidents that can result in injuries or death. This means that students should be properly supervised and provide a safe environment for them to be in, whether they are on a school bus, participating in extracurricular activities, or during the school day. If a school somehow breaches their duty of reasonable care, then they could be responsible for compensating the student and his or her family for the injuries that the victim sustained.

Here are some of the most common causes of accidents that occur at school:
Bullying and assaults. Bullying and fighting are unfortunately very common; however, keep in mind that a school cannot be held completely responsible for every conflict that occurs. On the other hand, the school can be found negligent if it failed to adequately supervise students during the time of the incident. For example, if the school, a supervisor, or a teacher was made aware of the aggressor being a troublemaker and believed the fight was going to happen, but did not take any action to prevent it, then the school can be held liable.
Slip and fall accidents. Another common cause of a school injury stems from slip and fall accidents. For instance, water and debris in hallways or bathrooms, slippery floors from cleaning, backpacks or other items thrown on classroom floors, or drink spills in the cafeteria can easily result in a serious slip and fall accident. As a result, children can sustain broken bones, spinal injuries, brain injuries, or other types of injuries from a slip and fall accident.

School bus accidents. Negligent bus drivers that are distracted, impaired, or not properly trained can cause a serious bus accident. In addition, poor bus maintenance issues can also be the cause of a bus accident. Because school buses are not equipped with seatbelts or airbags, the repercussions can be very serious.

Playground accidents. Due to weather and daily use, playground equipment goes through a lot of wear and tear, which is why it is important that the playground equipment is well-maintained and replaced whenever it is necessary to avoid any injuries from occurring. Additionally, playground equipment may even have manufacturing defects, which can cause a serious injury when a child is playing. Another type of accident can be due to lack of supervision.

Food poisoning: It is important for cafeteria workers to properly prepare and store food, so children do not become ill from the food provided by the school. In addition, an outside vendor that provided tainted food can result in serious food poisoning.
Sports activities. There are school sports that are inherently dangerous, such as football, that can result in serious injuries; however, if a football player is injured, he or she may not be able to sue the school for their injuries, as he or she may have voluntarily engaged in the sport. However, there are times that equipment is defective, or the school failed to provide proper supervision, which resulted in an accident. In this case, the injured student may have a claim.