Schools are charged with keeping students safe while they are on school premises. When parents send their children to school, they usually have a reasonable belief that their children will be cared for and supervised and that no ill harm will befall them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When a student dies on school property, school officials or the school district may be implicated in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Hartford readers may be interested in an upcoming wrongful death suit that involves just such a scenario. The mother and stepfather of a 14-year-old boy who drowned in 2012 in a Manchester, Connecticut, school pool have filed papers saying that they will sue the town and school system.
The incident occurred during swimming class. The child was allegedly only found at the bottom of the pool after being down there for more than 17 minutes. The swimming class teacher, high school athletics director, high school principal and superintendent are all named as defendants in the suit. The suit alleges that the defendants in the case were negligent in letting the child drown.
Although no amount of money can replace a loved one who dies due to the negligence and incompetence of another party or parties, families have a right to seek out compensation and damages in cases of wrongful death. Monetary awards for loss of companionship and mental anguish are often granted in this type of case.
Source: Courant.com, "Manchester Drowning Victim's Family Intends To Sue," Jesse Leavenworth, Jan. 24, 2013
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