A school or preschool injury is rarely “just an accident.” When a child is hurt—on a playground, in a classroom, on a field trip, or during athletics—the central question is whether the harm was truly unavoidable or whether supervision, safety practices, staffing, equipment, or policies failed under ordinary conditions. These cases often involve fractures and sprains from falls, head injuries and concussions, dental trauma, choking or aspiration events, burns from hot liquids or chemicals, allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, medication or dosing errors, injuries tied to restraint or unsafe seclusion practices, bus and transportation incidents, and—most seriously—assault or abuse by other children or adults.

These claims are won early—by preserving the record before it disappears. The first steps are practical but consequential: obtain medical evaluation and follow through; request the written incident report; identify everyone involved; preserve photographs of injuries and the location; and write down a timeline while details are fresh. In some cases, educational providers may be required to prepare and provide reports to parents. Just as important, request any surveillance video immediately, because retention periods can be short. Do not hand over broad medical authorizations or sign releases on the spot; those documents can quietly narrow what you are able to prove later.

Our first step is a focused investigation—incident reports, nurse notes, supervision schedules, training records, prior similar incidents, and any video or communications—and a liability analysis keyed to supervision, premises conditions, and foreseeable risk. Where appropriate, the case expands to negligent hiring/retention or policy-and-practice failures, and in some matters to product liability if defective playground or athletic equipment contributed to the injury. As the record develops, the claim is presented to the responsible insurer, and if the matter involves a governmental entity, the claim process must be handled correctly before litigation begins. From there, the case moves through discovery and depositions, often with experts in child safety, human factors, medicine, and sometimes engineering, followed by mediation or trial depending on whether the defense is prepared to account for what the evidence shows.