New Jersey Mother Sues Over Daughter’s Injury at School

In the comfort of your own home, you can maintain the safety and cleanliness of your surroundings for yourself and your family. However, every time you visit a public location, you are relying on the premises owners to have properly maintained the venue. This also applies when you drop your children at school, somewhere you would hope to be a safe environment for your child away from dangerous property. Sadly, as one New Jersey mother found out, this is not always the case.

This mother, from Parsippany, has sued the board of education over a permanent ankle injury sustained by her daughter at Brooklawn Middle School. The suit alleges that the 13-year-old girl had been taken outside for a gym class to play touch football in unsuitable conditions. The grass was slippery and wet and had caused several other children to fall previously.

However, when this young girl slipped, she damaged her left ankle in such a manner that she is likely to be affected for the remainder of her life. She has gotten past the need for crutches, but it is suspected that she may forever limp. Her mother has filed a lawsuit naming the girl’s gym teacher, the school itself and the board of education. She also included the township on the grounds that it was responsible for the grass-cutting. However, the township denies this obligation.

Improper maintenance of a premises all too often results in accidents like this one in New Jersey. If you come to harm in a dangerous property, it is important to report it so the matter can be dealt with swiftly. With the guidance of an attorney, you may also be able to seek compensation for the harm done to you by the unsafe premises.

Source: NJ.com, “Mother sues over daughter’s ‘permanent’ ankle injury suffered playing touch football in gym class,” Ben Horowitz, May 19, 2014