How to Write a School Accident Report?

Accident Report at School

When parents drop their children off at school, they essentially entrust their children’s safety to the school system. It is critical for both schools and parents to understand that doing all possible to safeguard the safety of children on school grounds is critical. However, we must realize that it is impossible to prevent accidents from occurring. Fortunately, the majority of school-related accidents are minor; but, there are situations where pupils receive significant injuries. Schools are required to write an accident school report regardless of the severity of the injury. Here is a list of the most important pieces of information that a school report must include. 

Get the facts

The child’s name and address:

This information must be included in every school report in order for authorities to identify the child involved. The address is required in order to locate the child’s parents if necessary.

The incident’s date and time:

It is critical to report the date and time of the accident in order to comprehend the circumstances. For example, if the accident happened during a break, authorities should look into whether or not there was a lack of supervision.

The type of injury:

Schools must disclose as much information on the injury as feasible. Keep in mind that even minor injuries must be meticulously documented.

Details about any therapy or first aid that was administered:

It is very likely that the injured child was transported to the nursery initially, where he was given medication or therapy. Authorities will know if the school followed the appropriate safety requirements if this is documented.

Witnesses, if any:

If there were witnesses at the time of the accident, it is critical to collect a documented description of what happened. If the incident becomes more serious and results in a lawsuit, having a documented statement from a witness could help clarify the case.

Person who attended to the injury’s name and signature:

This is necessary since it serves as verification that this person confirms that some of the report’s most significant facts are correct.

Name and signature of the person to whom the accident was reported:

In the same way as in the last situation, this individual certifies that the information on the report is correct.

Parent’s signature:

Last but not least, this signature is crucial to prove that the parents or tutors of the minor were informed about the accident. 

The Incident’s Timeline

A timeline of events must be included in every accident report. Everything significant previous to the occurrence must be thoroughly documented; this is critical for understanding the context of the event. This will also assist authorities in obtaining answers to the most often asked questions during an accident investigation. For example, what was the student doing before the accident? What was the student doing in that particular location? Were there any school teachers or other personnel on the premises at the time of the accident? Was the accident caused by a sport or another school-sponsored activity? Among other concerns.

The following section must describe exactly what happened at the time of the accident, including detailed information about who or what caused the injury, if it was done intentionally by another person, if it happened during a sport activity, if action was taken immediately, and the student’s condition immediately following the event. Each of these details are required to determine if the school was taking proper safety precautions, whether workers responded fast to the youngster, and the seriousness of the injury.

Finally, the timeline must include information about what happened in the hours following the accident. If the student was brought to the nursery or if the minor was sent directly to a hospital, this must be noted here. If the child received treatment or medicine from the school, and what medications were administered. And the student’s condition throughout the next few hours.

Examine the accident’s causes

Schools must thoroughly analyze the reasons for the accidents and take quick steps to prevent a recurrence of the scenario. For example, if the accident was caused by a lack of maintenance on the school grounds, the institution must remedy anything that poses a threat to the safety of the children and undertake frequent inspections to avoid such problems in the future. If the incident was triggered by another student, it is critical to investigate the situation, uncover any previous violent behavior by the students involved, and take necessary measures with the pupils. Another element that may contribute to an accident is a lack of supervision. Schools must assign a certain number of teachers to supervise a certain number of students. Schools must ensure that children are supervised by the appropriate number of teachers.

When Is it Appropriate to Submit a School Accident Report?

School accidents reports must be submitted as soon as possible. It is clear that some of the information required to put up a good, consistent report may require a significant amount of time to gather. However, submitting a report in the least amount of time is beneficial for all parties. 

What Else Should Be Included in The School Accident Report?

The school accident report should include anything that can provide more information about the accident, the reasons, and the damages. If the injury occurred on a field trip, for example, any paperwork or notice signed by the parents enabling the minor to assist in the event should be included. Photographs or videos that capture the moment of the accident should be included in the report as well. If the incident is related to a bullying case, include screenshots of social media activity or other types of proof in the report.

New York Law for School Accident Report

New York Law requires schools to fill and send a form called “Comprehensive Injury Report”. This form must be submitted to the superintendent’s office of the corresponding district in less than 24 hours after the accident. This document has 3 different sections and all of them must be completed. 

• Fact Sheet: The purpose of this section is to obtain as much information about the case and the people involved as possible. 
• Injury Description: Like the name says, this section must be filled with all the information regarding the injury. 
• Witness Statement: This section has to be filled by all witnesses and they have to describe the nature, time and place of the accident. It is expected that all witnesses provide their statements based on their personal opinion and experience. 

If the injury that the student sustained was caused by a vehicle collision, the school must fill out the form MV-104F. This form should be used only when these 2 conditions are met:

• The vehicle or school bus must be transporting at least one or more pupils, teachers, children of pupils or members of the supervisory personnel of the school. 
• The vehicle must be property of the school or directly contracted by the school. 

This form must be submitted in less than 10 days after the accident if it caused death, personal injury or damages over $1000 to someone’s property.

School Injury Lawyer

When a student is hurt at school, it is understandable that the parents or tutors are upset and desire justice for their children’s injuries. However, demanding compensation from a school is not an easy task, especially if the accident happened in a public school. Nonetheless, this does not mean it is impossible, it just means that in order to succeed in your quest for justice, you will need professional help. An experienced school injury lawyer will greatly increase your chances to receive compensation for the damages that your child sustained. At Greenberg & Stein P.C. You will find some of the most experienced and successful lawyers in this area. Our attorneys have represented countless clients and have helped them receive fair compensation. Our lawyers will guide through each step of the claiming process and will help you in every way possible. Contact us at 212-969-2535 to schedule a free case consultation with one of our attorneys to discuss more about your case.