You can sue if your child was injured at a New Jersey public school and the injury was caused by the school’s negligence. However, keep in mind that strict deadlines and procedures must be met. Contact us at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman P. C for a free consultation if this has happened to you. We have the expertise and the compassion to make sure you get the compensation you need to begin rebuilding your family’s life.

How Schools May Avoid Breaching Their Duty of Care

The school owes your child a duty of care to take reasonable precautions to avoid exposing them to dangerous conditions. If the school breaches this duty of care and your child gets hurt, you may be eligible for damages.  Examples of these reasonable precautions include the following:

  • Conducting a thorough background check for all school employees and staff members, including administrators, teachers, coaches, and bus drivers.
  • Ensuring that all school facilities and equipment are safely monitored, secured, and maintained.
  • Not exposing your child to any activities that may unreasonably endanger their health.
  • Closely monitoring any children with a known propensity for violence on school grounds.

Examples of When This Duty of Care is Breached

Many accidents could occur due to a breach of duty of care—and some of them may result in your child being seriously injured:

  • After heavy snowfall the previous afternoon and no additional precipitation since then, your child slips and falls on an icy path while walking into the building to start their day.
  • The bus driver is operating under the influence of alcohol and causes a crash, which is their second DUI.
  • The playground equipment has not been examined, repaired, or adequately maintained in years, and your child is injured when a piece of the equipment breaks.
  • Your child’s football coach insists on putting the team through grueling practices in the summer heat without providing sufficient breaks for water, and your child suffers heat-stroke as a result.
  • The railing on a staircase has been loose for weeks and finally gives out while your child is holding onto it. They fall and break their collar bone.
  • The food in the school cafeteria has been improperly stored or prepared, and your child becomes very ill from food poisoning.
  • A bully severely injures your child in a fight that occurred on the playground during recess. You later discover that the bully had already been disciplined for four prior fights that semester. Yet, there weren’t any teachers or staff members monitoring this child’s conduct.
  • Your child is sexually abused by a teacher. You later discover that that teacher had been disciplined for sexual misconduct on two separate occasions but remained employed.

Why Time is of the Essence

There may be strict deadlines that you must meet and also specific procedural requirements, such as a notice of claim, that must be met before filing a lawsuit. That is why we strongly recommend that you consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. During this consultation, you will learn more about your legal rights, your options, the approximate financial value of your claim, and any deadlines you must meet.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation

Since 1975, our personal injury attorneys at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C. have been standing up for the legal rights of injured victims. We give each client’s case the individual attention and dedication it deserves, and we vigorously strive to maximize each client’s financial compensation. We pride ourselves on being big enough to do it all, and small enough to care.

If your child has been injured at a New Jersey public school, call Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C. today to schedule a cost-free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will never pay us a dime unless you win your case.