Many children stray from the watchful eyes of their parents for the first time when they attend school. Although a school’s staff may take all kinds of measures to protect children from injuries, the occasional nick or scrape is an inevitable part of exploring the surrounding world.
However, there are times when a child’s severe injury qualifies for damages because it is avoidable or due to gross negligence.
What are common injuries children sustain at school?
All children sustain injuries at some point while attending school. Injuries typically occur due to:
- Team sports
- School yard play
- Bullying
- Tripping and falling
- Broken school supplies
- Fighting
- Insufficient supervision
When can you file a claim against your child’s school?
Claims involving private schools are similar to other personal injury claims. The state of Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations for filing these claims in civil court.
Alternatively, the statue of limitations for filing a claim against a public school drops to a maximum of three months. Public school-realted injuries involving claims against the government are also significantly more challenging to defend.
Other considerations
Claims involving injuries at school come with additional hurdles resulting in long court battles. For example, many schools require parents to sign liability waivers releasing the schools and their personnel from direct responsibility for injuries children may sustain while participating in specific activities. School insurance providers may also hold children directly responsible for their injuries.
Staying safe
Georgia parents and educators can turn to various resources for help providing a safe environment in which children can learn and grow.
Remember that responsibility does not belong to children who rely on adults for their safety.
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