Our school accident solicitors provide obligation-free legal advice and no win no fee representation in relation to injuries sustained in a school accident. If you have been injured in an accident at school or have suffered psychological damage, you may be entitled to claim compensation. It is important that you seek legal advice from a solicitor who specialises in personal injury law. There are time limits and thresholds which apply to school accident claims, and our team of school accident lawyers can advise you on these matters. Speak a scool accident solicitor today to find out how we can help you obtain compensation for injuries sustained in a school accident.
It is the job of the school system to create an environment that is as safe as possible for all pupils. The school system may be liable to pay compensation if they created an environment that was unsafe and the situation resulted in an accident or injury to one or more students. If you are in any doubt take advice from a scool accident solicitor today.
There are a number of protections a school must have in place in order to protect the students. For example, they must have preparations in place and written rules in the event there is a fire in the school. This means having the right number of fire extinguishers in the school and having fire drills as directed in the school safety manual. There needs to be instructions for all teachers as to what to do in the event of a fire emergency.
There needs to be safety regarding buses and the roadways near the school. In elementary school situations, there should be training for both staff and students on the proper ways to behave around a school bus and buses should have proper safety features to prevent children from walking in front of the bus where the driver can’t see them. Some schools have trained students to act as a safety patrol on the nearby streets to allow students to help others get across the street safely.
In recent years, a lot has been made attention to regarding bullying in schools. Schools from elementary school to high school have created policies and procedures regarding the issue of bullying. There is a new awareness that bullying represents a serious safety issue. Even if there is no physical abuse, there is emotional abuse with a risk of suicide, especially in the teen years. Greater recognition for bullying and more repercussions for those who bully can help decrease the incidence of the phenomenon.
In addition, cyberbullying and the exploitation of children over the internet are possible. Schools should have plans in place that involve the blockage of social media sites from the computers at school. Parents should be encouraged to do the same so children and teens don’t get sucked into a cyberbullying or sex on the internet schemes. Teen girls are most likely to get into these kinds of schemes and can be protected by blocking the suspicious sites.
Schools must be prepared for emergency disasters such as flash floods, tornado, snow storms, extremes of temperature, and tsunamis, depending on the location of the school. Schools are expected to make the correct decision based on their safety manual as to whether or not to have kids come to school that day.
School safety from the threat of guns and knives is a more recent topic. While it may be difficult to completely prevent this type of school violence, schools ,may implemented safety features like x-ray machines and controlled entries to all school entry doors so no one is admitted without clearance and x-ray proof that the individual isn’t carrying a weapon.
Gangs in schools can constitute a safety hazard. For this reason, there should be a group that monitors the school for gangs and that does everything it can to prevent gang formation and a gang presence in school or on school grounds. This is primarily an issue for high schools but middle schools need to keep awareness as well.
The most common injuries that occur in school are phys ed related and include cuts, abrasions and contusions occurring as part of class. Kids can play rugby, football and other contact sports in high school, and can get injured during these sports. Concussions are also a possibility, depending on the sport. In other sports situations, there can be dehydration, dizziness and fainting that need urgent evaluation and management. If you are in any doubt whether or not your child has a potential damages claim take advice from a scool accident solicitor today.
Students can become injured in science class, especially chemistry class. Students should be taught the proper safety rules when it comes to working with caustic substances and flames but some students fail to follow rules and get burned by acids, bases, or hotplates and open flames. The school may be held liable even if he proper safety rules were taught, especially if supervision was lacking at the time of the incident.
Students can be injured on the playground. Injuries can involve abrasions, lacerations, contusions and broken bones. School playground equipment should be age appropriate and be inspected periodically if there could be screws holding the parts of a piece of equipment together. If there is a problem with the school playground equipment and the problem results in a serious student injury, the school could be liable for the injury. The playground manufacturer may also be liable if there was a design defect in the equipment.
Students can be injured coming and going to school. The school may have crossing guards to protect students and the city should have school crossing signs and walkways clearly marked on the pavement near the school. If a child is injured by being struck by a motor vehicle, the driver of the motor vehicle, the city or the school itself may be liable.
One cannot prevent all injuries to students at school; however, safety protocols should be in place and they should be followed to the letter in order to have a minimum of injuries to students in the school they attend.
LAWYER HELPLINE: ☎ 1800 339 958The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here