West Palm Beach School Accident Lawyer
Children inevitably get into accidents. Many are nothing more than a cut or scrape. But some accidents result in far more serious–and potentially fatal–injuries. And in many cases, these accidents occur while a child is under the supervision of a school or daycare center.
Palm Beach County parents trust the schools with their children’s lives and well-being on a daily basis. So when that trust proves to be misplaced, parents rightly demand answers. An experienced West Palm Beach school accident lawyer can help you in finding those answers. Smith, Ball, Báez & Prather is a team of experienced Florida personal injury attorneys who represent children and their parents in taking legal action against negligent schools and school employees who failed to take their responsibilities seriously.
When Can Florida Schools Be Held Liable for Student Injuries?
Of course, not every minor cut or scrape that occurs on school grounds is cause for legal action. But when school personnel are negligent in failing to properly supervise children, or the school grounds themselves contain safety hazards that are not addressed, it is justified for parents to seek legal accountability for a more serious accident. This can include the following scenarios:
- A school fails to employ sufficient staff to monitor students when they are in large groups, such as in the lunchroom, and a fight breaks out causing serious injuries to one or more students.
- Along similar lines, school officials fail to take appropriate action to stop known cases of bullying or physical threats to student safety.
- The school administration fails to properly secure the grounds to prevent entry by unauthorized persons who end up doing harm to students.
- Students are injured while playing on equipment that has known safety defects or that has not been properly maintained by the school staff.
- School personnel responsible for overseeing student athletics fail to maintain safe conditions or do not respond appropriately to medical issues that arise during a game or practice.
- Students are injured in slip and fall accidents resulting from a failure to keep walkways in and around the school free of spills and obstructions.
It is important to consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible following a school accident. One reason is that if your child’s injury occurred on the grounds of a public school there are special rules that must be followed to pursue a claim for compensation. State schools are protected by Florida’s “sovereign immunity,” which can only be waived if a claim for compensation is first presented to the appropriate authority first. Only after a public school has had a chance to review and deny a claim may a parent file a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of their child.
Contact Smith, Ball, Báez & Prather Today
No parent wants to face the prospect of their child facing a life-threatening or other serious injury. But if the worst does happen, a qualified West Palm Beach school accident attorney can help you and your family through the process of seeking legal accountability. Contact Smith, Ball, Báez & Prather today to schedule a case evaluation.
