For those of you with school-age children, there will inevitably be a time when they are hurt at school in some way. In the unfortunate event that this happens, you should know what steps you should take to address the issue. Here are five actions you must take if your child is injured at school.
1. Speak with Your Kid’s Teacher and Other Personnel
Make sure you take the time to meet with your child’s educator immediately after the incident. You also should meet with the principal and other administrative leaders that work at the school. Jot down all the information they provide you.
Be detailed as much as possible with your notes. Important facts that you should document are the location and time of the incident and which school personnel was present when the injury occurred. If you don’t speak with the appropriate people, you will not have as many rights toward when moving forward.
2. Ensure There Is an Incident Report
Either at your school’s administrative office or through the local school board office, an incident report should be filed. The school should file it for you, but you need to be sure it’s completed. You must check with the school board to ensure they have the report on file. Ask your child to be as thorough as possible if providing their take on what happened. Go over the details of their injury more than once with them to make sure all the necessary information is provided and to ensure accuracy.
After the report has been filed, you need to keep copies of it. Have one for yourself, one for your child’s doctor, and one for an attorney if legal action is needed. Get documentation from the school as to how they plan to move forward with your incident report. Make sure they stick to their plan.
3. Seek Medical Care Right Away for Your Child
No matter how big or small your kid’s injury might be, you need to be sure to seek medical care right away. It’s always important to rule out any serious issues. Do not risk jeopardizing your child’s health further.
Plus, if you have to take legal action, you will need as much documentation as possible that highlights the impact the injury had on your family. Insist that your child gets a thorough examination from a medical provider, too. Don’t ever be bullied into thinking your child does not need to be checked out by medical personnel.
4. Talk to a Reputable Attorney
Reach out to an attorney to determine if any needed legal action(s) should take place. You might not think legal expertise should be consulted, but why would you not make sure? Any medical bills you have to pay could be covered by the school through legal action. You also could be paid for the time you had to spend caring for your kid causing you to miss work. Compensation could be given that reflects other factors that impacted your child and the entire family, too. Finding a local lawyer that has expertise in injury law is key to getting the best results and can be easily done online. For example, if you live in Orange County, California, a quick google search for ‘Orange County lawyer’ will help you find local attorneys. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to utilize legal representation. It’s your right to do so.
5. Don’t Settle for Excuses and Stay on Top of It
Once you have started the process of getting to the reason your kid was injured and taking any needed recourse, you should not settle for excuses. Even if your child’s school apologizes profusely this doesn’t mean what happened is okay. This is your kid, and you need to take this seriously in order to avoid any further incidents. This will help you stay on top of the process moving forward if your child somehow gets injured at school.
Do What’s Best for Your Kid
Whether it’s on the way to or from school on a school bus or while they’re at school, an injury to your child should not ever be taken lightly. Take the above actions right away to ensure you do what is best for your kid and your family.
