St. Louis School Accident Lawyer

If you or your child was seriously injured at school, you have the right to wonder if someone could have prevented the incident. With help from Goldblatt + Singer’s school accident attorneys, you can investigate the school and its staff members for possible signs of negligence. We have decades of experience handling child injury claims and know exactly what to look for during campus evaluations. We might be able to secure you compensation for your child’s medical bills, emotional distress, pain and suffering. Contact us today for a free school accident claim evaluation.

Types of Negligence That Could Result in a School Lawsuit in St. Louis

Most school accident claims against St. Louis schools rely on the legal concept of negligence. Negligence can refer to any action or behavior that fails to fulfill the school’s duty of care to students. It can refer to a lack of student safety measures, hazardous property elements or anything else that causes an unreasonable risk of harm to students. The following are examples of common acts of negligence that may lead to claims against schools in Missouri:

• Negligent security. Part of keeping a school safe for children is implementing adequate security measures to keep grounds free from intruders. Failure to hire security guards, light a school campus, install security alarm, and take other reasonable actions to prevent incidents could result in school liability for security breaches, criminal assaults and student injuries.
• Lack of supervision. Every St. Louis school should have a balanced ratio of adults to children. Playtime, classrooms and lunchrooms should all have enough supervision to allow staff members to keep an eye on children at all times. Negligent supervision resulting in a child wandering off campus, misusing playground equipment or a being bullied could end in a personal injury lawsuit.
• Unsafe premises. The owner of the school (the St. Louis government or school municipality, in the case of public schools) is legally responsible for maintaining safe school grounds. Property defects that result in slip and falls, fires, floods, mold or harmful substance exposure, playground injuries, elevator/escalator accidents, accidental drowning and animal attacks point to school liability.
• Playground injuries. A common type of school accident is playground injuries. While not all playground injuries give parents ground to file lawsuits, those that result from negligent supervision, dangerous grounds or defective equipment do. It is up to the school to maintain a safe play area and to properly supervise playtime. Playground injuries from defective equipment could give rise to a product liability lawsuit.

Not all school-related injuries stem from negligence. Unfortunately, some come from intentional child abuse. While these cases are rare, it’s important as a parent to look out for signs of potential abuse. Look for unexplained injuries, behavioral changes in your child, unusual knowledge of sexual matters, your child flinching away from physical touch and your child not wanting to go to school or see a certain teacher for possible signs of child abuse. If you suspect abuse at school, notify school authorities of your suspicions. Then, call Goldblatt + Singer.

Public School Lawsuits and Sovereign Immunity in St. Louis

Sovereign immunity refers to the traditional protection that government agencies enjoy from personal injury liability and lawsuits. However, there are two exceptions in Missouri:

1. Injuries directly resulting from the negligent acts or omissions by public employees arising out of the operation of motorized vehicles within the course of their employment.
2. Injuries caused by the condition of a public entity’s property if the plaintiff establishes that the property was in dangerous condition at the time of the injury, that the injury directly resulted from the dangerous condition, that the dangerous condition created a foreseeable risk of harm of the type of injury which was incurred, and that either a negligent or wrongful act or omission of an employee of the school created the condition OR that the school had been given prior notice of the condition and had sufficient time to take measures to protect against it.

If your child was injured at St. Louis school,  don’t wait to contact us.  Our school accident lawyers will work diligently to get you and your family the compensation that you deserve. Call (314) 231-4100 right away for a free legal consultation. We can begin investigating the circumstances right away.