Hi! My name is Sam, and I started this blog to help other injured people. Before you start reading, let me tell you a little about myself. Ten years ago, I slipped on a slice of fruit in a grocery store. My leg slid out from under me, and in a freak twist, it was rendered useless. I could no longer work and struggled with intense pain every day. Luckily, I found an accident and injury attorney who was able to get me the compensation I needed to cover my medical bills and my lost time at work. However, while I waited for the settlement to come through, I had to get creative physically and financially. This blog is dedicated to anyone who is in that limbo position. I hope the posts here help you decide what to do while you wait for the results of your trial.
Bullying is something that can negatively affect someone for many years after they've left school. Are the parents to blame for children who assume the role of the school bully? If this is the parents' fault, should the parents be liable from a legal point of view?
There are cases where bullying is so severe that the parents of the victim may seek monetary damages. In these cases, with the participants being minors, the parents of the bully will be liable to pay those damages.
How Exactly Are the Parents Liable?
There are different rules for parent's liability when it comes to bullying depending on the state a person lives in. For example, in Tennessee, parents can be sued for up to 10,000 dollars of their child's damages. If, however, the parents are proven to have known their child's intentions, then that cap doesn't apply. In Hawaii, parents are liable for their child's actions, and there is no limit to the amount they will have to pay.
Being the parent of your child does not automatically make you liable if your child becomes the school bully simply because you are the parent. The legal issue emerges in a lot of states when you know your child is a bully but you do nothing to stop the behavior. By not taking steps to stop the bullying after you became aware of it, you become part of the problem.
When Is the Issue with the Parents and when Is It with the School?
The parents would be sued in the event a person's child is severely injured and medical expenses are needed. In some unfortunate cases, the parent is actually encouraging their child to be a bully or is participating in the bullying, which shows that they knew what was happening and did nothing to stop it. A school can be sued if they are negligent when it comes to finding a solution to help the child who is being bullied. If a child is being bullied, it's a good idea to keep a detailed log of the occurrences and conversations that are had with the school about what they are going to do to solve the problem.
As you can see, there is a lot of red tape involved when it comes to school bullies. The unfortunate truth is that even if the state believes the parent is liable if the parent was aware of the bullying, you still have to be able to prove the parent was aware the bullying took place. If your child is being bullied in school, and you are worried about the damages it is or has done, reach out to a personal injury lawyer for guidance. Look at sites like http://www.grdlaw.com/ to look at potential lawyers and firms.
Share14 July 2016
