Yes, you can sue a school district for your child’s injury or wrong death if there is evidence to support your claim under the law. You can also sue the owners of a private school if you son or daughter was negligently injured on school property or, in some circumstances, at a school event at another location.
“Schools have a duty to supervise and protect the students under their care. Negligence can lead to tragedy.” says attorney Eric Hageman, who recently won a $3 million settlement from a school district for a family.
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In one of our cases, a young boy drowned during a gym class at a school district pool. There was not a lifeguard at the pool, and only one teacher was present. The teacher was not a trained lifeguard and we had evidence that he was using his iPad instead of watching the children. It was not until after the class that anyone realized the boy was missing. He was found at the bottom of the pool. This tragic death could have been prevented. Pritzker Hageman attorneys represented the family in a wrongful death lawsuit against the school district. They a won $3 million settlement for the family.
Our lawyers have handled a number of personal injury or wrongful death cases against schools. Possible claims include the following:
- Injuries sustained in a school bus crash;
- An injury on a playground, in a gymnasium or in a pool;
- An assault (including a school shooting) by a teacher or other school employee, another student, or someone on school grounds who is not a school district employee;
- Food poisoning from a meal served at the cafeteria;
- E. coli infection and hemolytic uremic syndrome (complication of an E. coli infection that causes kidney failure) from animal contact.
- Burn injuries from fires and explosions started by failed science experiments. When proper safety protocols are not followed, chemistry demonstrations like the rainbow flame can cause serious burns.
Our experience is that the parents have wanted to take legal action to get justice and prevent similar harm. It is also often the case that the parents use some of the money obtained in a settlement or verdict to help others, for example for a scholarship in the name of their child.
