What to Do if Your Child Is Injured at a New York School

School is supposed to be a safe place where children learn and grow. However, situations sometimes arise that lead to a child being injured. Parents in these circumstances are often surprised and wonder what they can do about the injury.

The answer is that their response should differ depending on the circumstances. At Steve Foley Law Firm, we help parents get answers and justice when their children are harmed at school.

What to Do After Your Child Experiences an Injury at School

Chances are you will not be around when your child is injured at school. Therefore, you will not be involved in the immediate response to the incident. However, there is still much you can do once the school has informed you of your child’s injury.

Ensure Proper Medical Treatment

Childhood injuries need prompt medical treatment or at least a prompt medical evaluation. If this has not occurred by the time you reach your child, take the steps necessary to get them before a qualified healthcare professional.

If a bit of time has elapsed between the injury and the medical attention, the school may potentially be held liable for failure to seek medical treatment on behalf of your child. Additionally, the school may be liable if its nurse or medical staff provided inadequate treatment.

Finally, make sure to get copies of all medical records and notes generated during the treatment of your child. These will help determine liability as well as aid in the calculation of damages.

Get a Statement of What Happened

Since parents aren’t present at the time of a school injury, they rely on second-hand information, which may vary depending on the source. Statements from injured children regarding the injurious incident are helpful and should be collected as evidence.

Additionally, the school is likely to provide parents of injured children with a statement detailing the accident. However, the school may have a significant incentive to communicate a compromised or abridged version of the facts.

Meet With a Personal Injury Lawyer

To truly get the answers and justice you and your child deserve, you must contact a qualified school injury lawyer. Of all the professionals involved in your family’s life, a lawyer is the one who will fiercely safeguard your rights and pursue maximum compensation for the losses you have suffered.

Remedies

Depending on the circumstances of the injury, you and your child may be entitled to certain remedies for your child’s injury, such as compensation for:

• Medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of ability to enjoy life
• Permanent disfigurement or scarring
• Disability

The party responsible for paying these damages depends on how the injuries were incurred. Potentially liable parties might include:

• The school and school district
• Teachers and teacher’s aides
• General school staff
• Other students

Third parties (i.e., independent contractors, product makers, and the general public) may also be held liable for the injuries they cause your child at school.

A School Injury Lawyer Is Your Child’s Top Advocate

Contact an experienced child injury lawyer to safeguard your child’s rights and get them justice for their injuries. Your family deserves to have an advocate willing to fight for them during this tough time.