When you drop your child off at the school’s doors, you may breathe a sigh of relief because you know that your child will spend the next 8 hours or so under the careful supervision of numerous adults.
Well, maybe. Even with plenty of adults around doing their best, the kids outnumber the adults by quite a bit. Staffing issues are a constant problem due to budget issues, so there may not be enough adults watching the kids during gym, recess, lunch and while they’re changing classes.
And that’s when a lot of accidents happen. According to one study, here are the type of injuries that school children suffer on a regular basis:
1. For children in kindergarten through grade six:
- Head injuries and injuries to their upper extremities (hands, shoulders, arms) are almost equally common and account for nearly 80% of the total injuries children suffer.
- Injuries to the trunk of the body run just over 13%.
- Lower body injuries (legs and feet) account for just 8% of injuries.
2. For children in grades seven and above:
- Head wounds are still the most common, accounting for a little over 34% of injuries.
- Upper extremities are involved in almost 29% of incidents.
- Trunk injuries increase dramatically, accounting for more than 26% of incidents.
- Lower extremities are still the least common, counting for just a little more than 10% of all incidents.
Accidents happen, and most injuries aren’t serious — but some will be. If your child is seriously injured in an accident at school, and you believe that the teachers, administrators or others were negligent, it’s wise to seek immediate legal advice. Suing a school, which is usually a part of the government, requires extra steps and quick action — all of which has to be handled correctly, or you lose your right to make a claim.
Contact our office to learn more about how we may be able to help you.