A parent at a Bakersfield City School is asking the city school district to pay $19,000 after his daughter fell off the monkey bars and broke her wrist. This is not the first parent to file this kind of claim. Past Bakersfield City School Board meeting agendas show other parents have filed similar claims.
While it's not uncommon to fall off the monkey bars, the parent contends that the school district is responsible for his daughter's broken wrist and damages for her "traumatic experience." The parent maintains that his daughter's accident could've been prevented by adding grip tape on the monkey bars. However, most schools and playgrounds around town don't have grips on their monkey bars.
When a child is injured at school here are some questions to consider:
1. Was the accident preventable? Did the school have adequate surfacing? If there was "fill" product like sand or woodchips was a adequate level of product maintained to prevent injury should a child fall?
2. Did the school provide adequate supervision? Was there a teacher or district employee on duty to supervise children and intervene in inappropriate play?
3. Were other children involved in the injury?
4. Was adequate first aid provided at the time of injury?
Schools can often avoid lawsuits altogether or limit liability by being proactive. Want to know more about what schools can do to protect themselves? Check out the online playground supervision course where these and other questions on playground supervision are answered.