QUESTION
If my child was injured accidentally by another child at school, are their parents responsible for medical bills?
Asked on Jan 15th, 2014 on Personal Injury - Pennsylvania
More details to this question:
Playing flag football at gym class in school, another child stepped on back of my sons shoe. My son fell and he went down on the ground. He suffered a dislocated elbow with medcial and physical therapy. Is the child who stepped on his shoe responsible for my son's medical bills?
1 ANSWER
Your question suggests the larger issue of whether a school district can be held responsible for injuries that a student sustains at school. Generally, the answer is no. As governmental entities, school districts enjoy certain immunities from civil claims for negligence. The law does provide exceptions to a school district's "sovereign immunity", but these exceptions do not typically apply in a gym setting. Based upon what you have described, the school district has no legal responsibility to pay your son's medical bills.
Answered on Jan 15th, 2014 at 4:38 PM