Common Causes of Serious Injuries on School Grounds
Most kids endure a minor injury or two on school grounds over the course of their education, but serious injuries are another matter. Often, serious injuries at school are the result of some form of negligence, such as failure to adequately supervise the children or failure to adequately maintain the property. If your child suffered a serious injury at school, it’s time to consult with our experienced Charleston child injury attorneys at John Price Law Firm, LLC.
How Serious Injuries Happen at School
Serious injuries on school grounds most often trace back to one of several recurring causes.
Inadequate Supervision
Proper supervision prevents many accidents before they happen. When schools fail to maintain appropriate student-to-staff ratios or when staff lack adequate training, children face a significantly higher risk of serious injury, including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and more.
Playground Hazards
Playgrounds are a common site of serious school injuries. Surfaces that lack adequate shock absorption, poorly designed or maintained equipment, age-inappropriate structures, and improperly installed equipment all create conditions where injuries are more likely and more severe.
Bus and Traffic Accidents
Drop-off and pick-up periods are among the most chaotic parts of the school day. Inadequate traffic protocols and insufficient supervision during these times can lead to serious accidents involving children on foot or in vehicles.
Poorly Maintained Facilities
Slipping hazards, inadequate lighting, faulty stairways, and deferred maintenance inside school buildings can all result in serious injuries to students.
Understanding Liability for School Injuries in South Carolina
Whether a school can be held liable for your child’s injuries depends in part on whether it is a public or private institution.
Private schools are subject to standard negligence principles. To bring a successful claim, you must establish that the school owed your child a duty of care, that it breached that duty, and that the breach directly caused your child’s injuries. Examples of negligence are inadequate supervision or insufficient maintenance of school grounds.
Public schools, however, are government entities, and claims against them are governed by the South Carolina Tort Claims Act. This law imposes important limitations that differ from standard negligence claims, including a two-year statute of limitations (shorter than the three years that apply to most personal injury claims) as well as caps on recoverable damages and specific procedural requirements that must be followed. Missing any of these requirements can bar your child’s claim entirely.
Regardless of whether your child’s school is public or private, consulting with an experienced child injury attorney as early as possible is critical to protecting your family’s right to pursue compensation.
Discuss Your Claim with our Experienced Charleston Child Injury Lawyers Today
Our reliable Charleston child injury attorneys at John Price Law Firm, LLC, have a wealth of experience successfully guiding challenging claims toward favorable outcomes that help injured children recover as fully as possible. Learn more by contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 843-552-6011 today. Consultations are free.