When you send your child to school in Fort Lauderdale, you trust that they’ll be safe and get a good education. But, in reality, making sure thousands of students are secure is tough.
Sadly, negligent security is a real problem in Fort Lauderdale schools, leading to lasting trauma. Cowen Edwards is here for the victims, standing up to hold schools responsible and safeguarding both your child’s safety and legal rights. If your child or someone you care about has been injured due to negligent security at their Fort Lauderdale school, contact us today for a free consultation.
Filing a Claim After Your Child is Hurt at Their Fort Lauderdale School
Facing security issues at your child’s school is a hugely challenging situation. Unfortunately, both you and your child have very little control over how their school approaches security. While the vast majority of schools try their best, the realities of staffing and funding become very impactful.
If your child is injured due to a security issue, the subsequent vital step is to take legal action. This can be done in a variety of ways, like:
- Filing a claim with the school’s insurance to cover associated costs
- Filing a lawsuit against the school
With all these options, there’s a possibility of recovering some of the costs or damages your child has suffered, including:
- Healthcare and future medical expenses
- Financial support for the pain and suffering your family experienced
- Financial considerations for emotional distress
- Support for the diminished quality of life
- In cases where the school’s negligence was severe, punitive damages might be awarded.
Beyond seeking damages, you can also ask the court to make the school implement new security measures to prevent future incidents. This proactive approach contributes to making sure every student is safe in the future.
Do You Need a Lawyer?
Our skilled legal team can assist you if there’s a security problem at your child’s school. You don’t have to, but we can guide you on what to do and help you and other students find relief. It’s important to approach this situation carefully, and our team is here to make things easier for you. We have a successful method based on lots of experience, with specific steps to handle these claims by:
- Gathering evidence – The first crucial step involves collecting any evidence that supports your claim of negligent security. This may include uncovering records of past security incidents, assessing the effectiveness of existing security measures, or pinpointing areas where security is lacking.
- Reviewing school security policies – Schools are obligated to have written policies and procedures to ensure security on their premises. Examining these policies and procedures can reveal whether they were followed appropriately, providing a basis for a claim of negligent security.
- Interviewing witnesses – Directly speaking to witnesses who may have information about security lapses or the school’s security practices is a straightforward way to identify potential issues. These witnesses could be staff members, students, or anyone else with relevant insights.
- Consulting with security experts – Utilizing our network of experts in school security, we can involve professionals well-versed in security practices and procedures in educational institutions. These experts can review the school’s security measures and provide testimony regarding any deficiencies that may have contributed to the security incident.
Not being able to guarantee your child’s security at their school is incredibly frustrating. With that said, the school and its administration has the overriding duty to do this. With that said, every situation is different, and being in the legal process means figuring out exactly who is responsible for the incident.
Who’s Liable For Your Child’s Injury at Their Fort Lauderdale School?
Your child’s school has a big responsibility to keep them and every other student safe, even though the main focus is on education. Since your child spends a lot of time at school, accidents might happen despite security measures that are in place. In such cases, it becomes an injury claim, and we need to figure out liability and negligence.
To show negligence, you must prove:
- The school has a duty to keep your child safe.
- They didn’t fulfill that duty, leading to a negligent security accident.
- The breach directly caused the accident and your child’s injuries.
Usually, the school administration is responsible for a negligent security accident. But once negligence is established, different parties could be liable:
- Security personnel – If the school’s security staff is negligent or poorly trained, they could be liable.
- Maintenance staff – Negligence in maintaining security infrastructure, like broken locks, might contribute to liability.
- Third parties – If the school hires external security services, their negligence could lead to liability.
How Negligent Security Incidents Happen
Keeping every student safe is hard, but it’s a big responsibility for schools. To protect your child’s rights, it’s crucial to know how these incidents usually happen:
- Insufficient security – Schools may lack necessary security measures such as cameras or proper lighting, making them susceptible to vulnerabilities.
- Understaffing – A shortage of trained security personnel or staff to handle security threats can result in negligence.
- Subpar facilities – Neglecting maintenance, such as broken locks or alarms, undermines overall security.
- Ignoring any known hazards – If a school is aware of specific security risks but fails to take action, it is considered negligent.
- Lack of training – Inadequate security training for personnel and students can lead to safety lapses.
- Careless hiring practices – Employing individuals without thorough background checks contributes to security lapses.
- Ineffective policies – Poorly formulated or inconsistently enforced security policies may not effectively reduce risks.
- Delayed response – A postponed or inadequate response by school authorities during a security incident can worsen the situation.
What Are Some Common Incidents That Can Hurt Your Child at School?
In order to better prepare your child, it’s important not only to understand the causes of negligent security at their school, but what could possibly happen because of them. Most of the time, negligent security at your child’s school will result in the following:
- Unauthorized access – Inadequate security measures may allow unauthorized individuals to enter the school, putting your child’s safety and other students at risk of abductions or other issues.
- Bullying and harassment – Poor security may contribute to an environment where bullying and harassment can occur without proper intervention. This can have serious emotional and psychological effects on your child.
- Theft and vandalism – Lack of security can lead to theft or vandalism on school property, affecting not only the school but also the personal belongings of your child.
- Being attacked – In the worst-case scenario, negligent security may expose your child to more serious safety threats, such as violence or attacks. This could result in physical harm or emotional trauma for the children involved.
Regardless of what injury your child suffers in negligent security incidents, our team can help you and your child hold the school accountable through the legal process. Before that happens, though, your child’s health and safety should take priority. Make sure they receive medical care to address any injuries and that they’re made safe.
Experienced Fort Lauderdale Negligent Security Lawyers
When your child’s school fails to keep them secure and safe, it can result in serious long-term injuries and other damage that you and your child will have to contend with. At Cowen Edwards, we take these incidents seriously, and take pride in our approach to negligent security cases. Don’t wait–if your child has been injured at their Fort Lauderdale school, contact us today for a free consultation.