No parent ever wants to get that call telling them that their child has been injured at school, but accidents happen. Sometimes, however, your child may be injured due to negligence on behalf of the school or an individual member of staff.
Knowing how to respond and what to do in the aftermath will help you and your child get through the ordeal, make the recovery period easier on both of you, and potentially help you get the compensation that you and your child deserve.
Here’s what you should do if you get that phone call.
Table of Contents
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
If the school has not already sought medical attention for your child, then you should ensure that they are seen by a medical professional straight away. If their injury is not serious enough to call an ambulance for, then you should take them to the local ER, an urgent care center, or book an appointment with your family doctor for as soon as possible.
If the injury was due to negligence and you are going to file a personal injury claim, these medical records will be important to your claim in the future. So aside from making sure that your child is okay and gets any necessary treatment, seeking medical help quickly can also help you legally.
Document as Much as You Can
When you arrive at the school, you should document as much as you can of the situation surrounding the accident or event that led to your child being injured. Take pictures if possible and speak to anybody who witnessed the scene. If other children saw it happen, then it’s worth speaking to their parents, to see if you can get an account from them. When you file an injury claim, any witness statements can work in your favor.
This will help you determine if somebody is at fault. Remember that even the worst injuries can genuinely be results of a playground accident. But if you believe that the injury could have been prevented with adequate supervision, or was directly caused by the actions of a worker at the school – for example, a cleaner failing to display warning signs on a freshly cleaned floor – then you may have a claim.
Look into Legal Proceedings
Once you have determined whether or not the school was at fault, you should look into legal proceedings as soon as possible. Remember that in personal injury claims, the faster the better. Speak to an experienced personal injury attorney and give them all the details; they will be able to help you further determine whether you have a claim if you’re still unsure, and go into more detail about what to expect from the case and how much compensation you could be potentially eligible for.
Help yourself by learning about the top reasons why personal injury lawyers reject cases, and document as many details as you can for the future case. You may find it helpful to ask your child to keep a diary; this can be useful for them personally and provide key evidence to support your case.
No parent likes to hear that their child has been injured at school. Most of the time it’s an accident, but if you believe the school could have prevented it, make sure you take the above steps.
