Even though schools have traditionally been thought of as safe and healthy places to send a child for the day, the prevalence of school related injuries in Maryland and the surrounding states has created a need for a good school liability law firm Maryland families can trust.
School Attendance Facts
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) approximately 50.7 million students will attend public elementary and secondary schools in the 2017/2018 school year. An additional 5.2 million students (approximately) will attend private elementary and secondary schools. Prior to the beginning of the 2017/2018 school year, it was anticipated that approximately 20.4 million students will attend colleges and universities.
Causes of School Related Injuries
Because there are so many students enrolled in schools, it is inevitable that some of these students will become injured while on their school or university’s property. Because of all of the teachers, administrators, staff, and other employees that it takes to run these different schools, the likelihood of some of these people becoming injured while at work is also fairly high
School related injuries can be physical, mental, emotional, or a combination of all of these. They can be the result of:
- School employee to student violence
- Student to school employee violence
- Student to student violence
- School employee to school employee violence
- Sexual assaults
- Improper touching or physical contact
- Faulty or dangerous playground equipment
- Asbestos, mold, and other environmental hazards
- Faulty and/or dangerous playground equipment
- Lack of supervision
- Inadequate security and safety measures
- Bullying and tormenting
- Weapons
- Sporting and athletic events
The above list is not exhaustive of all of the different possible school related injuries.
Schools and Liability
In the United States, when someone is injured on someone else’s property because of someone else’s neglect, malice or reckless behavior, the negligent party may be liable for expenses related to the person’s injuries. This is true of both public and private institutions for education.
If a property owner (and in some situations, a property manager or tenant) is negligent in providing adequate safety and security measures for people who occupy and visit their property, and someone becomes injured as the result of this, the injured person may be entitled to compensation. A victim of this type of injury may be able to recover money for their injuries through a personal injury claim in a civil court. Many people find that this is easier and more efficient to do with the help of a school liability law firm Maryland residents recommend, rather than try to do this on their own.
Compensation for School Related Injuries
Personal injury laws differ from state to state but in most states, the plaintiff (and often with the help of an attorney) need to prove two basic things:
1) The plaintiff was/is in fact injured
2) The plaintiff’s injury was caused by the defendant’s negligence, malice or reckless behavior
Children, teens, and adults who are injured on school property may be entitled to compensation because of:
- Medical bills (current and projected)
- Loss of quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of income
- Loss of childcare and/or household management
- Loss of abilities
- Loss of benefits
- Loss of spouse or parental support
- Funeral and burial or cremation costs
- Pain and grieving
The above information is a general overview of compensation for school related injuries. It is not intended to be legal advice in any way.
If you or someone you love was injured while on a school’s property in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC or in the surrounding communities, or if someone close to you has died because of this, you may find it helpful to discuss your rights with a lawyer who is licensed to practice law in the state that the injury occurred- and who is experienced at successfully defending the rights of injured people and their families.
For a school liability law firm Maryland families have been able to rely on for protection for over 30 years, contact Cohen & Cohen for a free case evaluation today.
