What Happens If My Child Slips and Falls While at School? What Are My Rights?

Data obtained from CDC indicates that about 3 million children visit the emergency room each year due to fall injuries. Such falls commonly occur while the child is playing on the field, at home, or at school. If your child has been injured due to a fall at school, it is important to understand what your legal rights are for your child’s injuries and suffering as provided by the slip and fall injury lawyers at Salamati Law in Los Angeles,CA.  

In schools, hazardous conditions arising due to the lack of maintenance or promptness in cleaning any spills may result in an accident. The common causes of a slip, trip, and fall accident in school are:

  • Loose or torn carpeting or floorboards
  • Loose electrical cords lying on the floor
  • Debris or clutter on the classroom floor or in the hallway
  • Inappropriately high thresholds
  • Potholes on the sidewalks or in the parking lot

All the schools have a duty of care obligation toward the children from any foreseeable harm. In an unfortunate incident, if your child has been involved in a slip and fall accident at school, you may be able to hold the school liable for their negligence. The statute of limitations governing the time period within which can file for a claim varies from one state to another. Usually, if the fall occurred at a private school, you will have around 2 years from the day of the accident to file your claim. If the incident took place at a public school then you have slightly lesser time to file your claim as public schools are funded and run by local governments. In such cases, you are often required to file your claim no later than 6 months from the day the fall occurred. 

What should you do if your child ships and falls at school?

If your child has slipped and fallen you should first ensure that your child receives medical treatment immediately. Even if the injuries appear minor in the beginning, it is critical that a medical professional examine the child as the injuries that may become severe later on. 

Additionally, parents are recommended to report the accident to the school authorities. The school’s staff member may contact you to inform you about the accident. But that does not guarantee that the accident report has been filed. Hence, it is imperative to confirm that the report is filed promptly and you receive a copy of the documents for your own records.

How can a good personal injury lawyer assist you?

It is highly recommended to get in touch with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer if your child has experienced a slip, trip and fall in school. If the school is a public property, the time frame within which you have to file for claims may be very short. If you fail to file within the allotted period your claim may be rejected. This makes it necessary to contact a professional attorney as soon as the accident has occurred, since an experienced lawyer can help you in filing for your claim in a timely manner so that you receive the compensation you deserve for all the pain and suffering. 

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