Back to school is an exciting time — for teachers, parents, and students — but it’s also a time to be mindful of safety.
I’ve written before about safety tips for transportation to and from school, as 301 school-age kids died from school transportation-related accidents between 2006 and 2015.
But accidents don’t only happen on the way to or from school. They can happen in the middle of a school day on the playground. According to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency departments in the United States treat more than 200,000 kids ages 14 and under for playground-related injuries. More than 20,000 of those are treated for a traumatic brain injury, including concussions.
Our playground injury lawyers helped a sixth-grade boy and his family get the compensation they deserved.
Our attorneys are quite familiar with the dangers of playgrounds and recess, as well as the importance of safety. Last year, a 12-year-old boy wound up in the emergency room with a broken femur after a game of recess football went from touch to tackle.
Playground Injuries and Negligent Supervision of Children
When an adult takes on the responsibility for watching children, he or she could be held accountable for injuries caused by a lack of adequate supervision. At schools, teachers and staff have an increased duty of care. Schools are supposed to have strong systems of supervision of case, but sadly, that isn’t always the case.
Negligent supervision factored into the sixth-grader’s case. At the time of the accident, the teacher who was supposed to be supervising our client and his classmates was 100 yards away, more concerned with what was on her cell phone than with her students’ safety. Had she been paying attention, the game probably wouldn’t have escalated.
If a client is injured on the playground because of negligent supervision, you could have a case. However, these cases can be complicated, and you’ll need to prove that:
a) The adult had agreed to assume responsibility for your children’s care.
b) He or she failed to provide adequate supervision.
c) The lack of supervision resulted in your child’s injury.
Get help from experienced playground injury lawyers.
The case I mentioned above was resolved after mediation for $80,000. If a child is injured on the playground due to negligent supervision, those responsible can be held liable. Experienced playground injury lawyers can help you obtain the compensation you’re entitled to. Contact us here or call (901) 327-2100 today to speak with a Memphis personal injury lawyer at no charge.