school injury

Back-to-School Injury Risks in SWFL

August 10, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Amid so much uncertainty, one thing is certain: This Back-to-School season will be unlike any other in history.

The Lee County School District has ordered teachers to report Aug. 18, with the first day of in-person, face-to-face instruction scheduled for Aug. 31. Schools in Charlotte and Collier counties also plan to open to students on Monday Aug. 31.

While concerns about COVID abound, our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know the normal risks of child injury remain acute at this time of year, and in some ways COVID may make traditional risks, like bicycle and pedestrian accidents, even more of a concern.

Back-to-School Safety Checklist for SWFL

September 10, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The National Safety Council recently published an excellent Back-to-School Safety Checklist for parents and students.

Our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral have published a number of back-to-school safety articles in recent weeks, including Back-to-School Bicycle and Pedestrian Accident Risks and school bus injury risks in Southwest Florida.

But the fact is autumn is the most dangerous time of the year for a number of reasons.

Munn v. Hotchkiss Sch. – School Liability for Student Illness to be Weighed

August 26, 2015 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

A high school freshman who went on a school summer foreign enrichment program to China returned forever changed after suffering a tick bite through which she contracted encephalitis. She became gravely ill while on the trip, had to be transferred to a hospital in Beijing and was ultimately flown back to New York, where medical doctors properly diagnosed her.

The effects have been devastating. She lost her ability to speak. Her face is partially paralyzed. She also lost some cognitive function, though she was able to eventually graduate from high school and attend college classes.

She and her parents sued the Connecticut private school where she attended and that had organized the trip, and ultimately won a $41.5 million judgment against the school, of which $31.5 were non-economic damages.