Boca Raton School Accident Lawyer
When parents send their children to school, they have a lot to worry about. They don’t need to add their children’s safety to this list. Safety concerns are the school’s responsibility, or more precisely, the school district’s responsibility, at least at public schools. Private schools must address these needs themselves. If an injury occurs at a public or private school, the families need and deserve compensation for the serious injuries their child sustained.
These cases are incredibly complex. But complex cases don’t intimidate the diligent Boca Raton school accident lawyers at Smith, Ball & Báez. Instead, we simply roll up our sleeves and get to work. Over the years, we have developed proven methods in personal injury cases. So, regardless of the facts and circumstances, we have a plan. This plan, when properly executed, usually results in maximum compensation for your serious injuries.
Bus Accidents
School bus drivers have tough jobs. They must drive large commercial vehicles on narrow neighborhood stress and small rural roads that weren’t designed for such vehicles, and dodge careless motorists as they drive. Furthermore, many school buses don’t have chaperones. So, bus drivers must wear two hats. They must safely operate vehicles and control sometimes unruly children.
School bus drivers also have a very high duty of care. They must proactively anticipate accidents and avoid them. Similarly, they must break up arguments before these arguments become violent. Job difficulties don’t excuse poor performance, for a school bus driver, a Boca Raton school accident lawyer, or anyone else.
Because the duty of care is so high, school bus accident victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. This compensation includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages are available as well, if there is clear and convincing evidence that the tortfeasor (negligent driver) intentionally disregarded a known risk.
Usually, under the respondeat superior rule, the school district is financially responsible for such injuries, as mentioned above.
Negligent Security Accidents
School bus accidents are quite rare. On-campus negligent security injuries, however, are quite common. Almost every school day, a major fight breaks out on at least one campus in Palm Beach County. Sadly, school shootings are increasingly common as well.
Sometimes, law enforcement responds slowly or poorly to such incidents. But public and private schools cannot blame law enforcement, or anyone else, for their own negligent security. Possible security issues at school include:
- Dark parking lots,
- Unsecured exits,
- Broken or missing cameras,
- Failure to check IDs,
- Inadequate deterrence in cafeterias, halls, or other common areas, and
- Inadequate level of security (e.g. no armed guards when armed guards are necessary).
School shooters, campus bullies, and other rapscallions must answer for their misconduct in criminal or juvenile court. These forums punish offenders, but they rarely, if ever, compensate victims.
Compensation is available if the school had a duty to protect the victim, and the school knew, or should have known, about the security lapse that caused or contributed to the victim’s injury.
Count On a Tenacious Palm Beach County School Injury Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced school accident lawyer in Boca Raton, contact Smith, Ball, Baez & Prather, Florida Injury Lawyers. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start fighting for you.
