Middle School Girl Brutally Attacked at Riverside County School – School Assault and Abuse Attorney

Yes, there are situations where a school can and should be sued for a physical altercation between students. Many people view school fights as a natural part of growing up, but the truth is, many of these incidents are extremely violent, to the point where a student is killed or permanently disabled. You may have heard about a recent incident involving the death of Shaylee Mejia, a 16-year-old who died from injuries during a fight with another student in the school bathroom.

The incident, which occurred at the Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, was caught on camera and shows Mejia collapsing to the floor after her head hit one of the bathroom stalls. Several days later, the girl fainted at a party she attended with friends and fell into a coma. Shaylee Mejia passed away on March 15, 2024 from a brain injury that caused a fatal hemorrhage.

According to her mother, Maria Juarez, her daughter had often come home from school covered in bruises, but school administrators did nothing to help her. Sadly, this is a common situation that we see at many schools, and why so many students are subjected to intense emotional and physical abuse at a place where they should feel safe.

That’s why it’s important to question what the school knew or should have known, and the actions they could have taken to protect a bullied student. Far too often, these kids go to the principal or another teacher, only to be told that it’s not a big deal or “try to avoid being around them,” as if it’s their fault that they are being assaulted. Parents are told that there is nothing the school can do, even when there is clear evidence (like video footage) of their child being attacked.

School districts must be held accountable for negligence that puts the safety of their students at risk. Our law firm is committed to fighting for victims and ensuring that justice is served on their behalf. For more information on suing a California school district, please contact the assault and battery lawyers of DTLA Law Group.

School children often get into arguments, and it’s inevitable that some of these fights get physical. However, there may be serious, life-altering injuries to a child when lack of supervision and other issues at the school that allow the fight to escalate out of control. Possible injuries from students fighting at a school include:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Skull fracture, concussion, and other forms of head trauma
• Permanent scars and other disfiguring injuries
• Neck and spinal cord injuries
• Health complications from choking / suffocation

Fights between students can be especially dangerous when objects are involved, like rocks, baseball bats, knives, and even firearms. But devastating harm can be caused by choking, kicks and punches to the head, body slams, and other actions that do not involve the use of weapons. In the most tragic cases, the student can end up dying from these injuries, and family members may have grounds to sue the school for wrongful death compensation.

No matter the circumstance, it’s essential to speak with a school liability lawsuit attorney as soon as possible if your child was the victim of a physical assault by another student.

Case values range significantly from one lawsuit to another with school fight incidents, but lawsuits based on injuries will probably settle for around $150,000 to $500,000. However, settlements may be higher for injuries that lead to permanent disability and/or severe psychological damage. In the case of a child dying from a school fight, the amount of compensation for a wrongful death lawsuit is likely to fall between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.

Ultimately, each victim and their family have unique circumstances that will determine how much they are entitled to from a lawsuit against the Alvord Unified School District or any other school system in California.

Normally, the statute of limitations for an injury or wrongful death case in California is 2 years from the incident date. However, lawsuits against school districts, government agencies, and other public entities have a much tighter deadline. Essentially, you will need to file a compensation claim according to the district’s procedures within 6 months. Gathering evidence for a claim and making a sound legal argument is very challenging, so we advise that you contact our office as soon as possible. Our legal team can help you build a strong and solid case and ensure that the necessary paperwork is filed by the statutory deadline.

Based on our experience, lawsuits against school systems take at least 12 months to resolve on average, with some cases taking 2 or more years. Now and then, we are able to negotiate a settlement within a few months, but this is a rarity when it comes to lawsuits against public entities, especially when the victim is a child. That’s why we estimate 1 to 2 years as the average timeline for a school fight lawsuit, though how long it takes to reach a settlement is based on many factors, which we can discuss with you in person.

Lawsuits for negligence by a school district are very common, but many of these cases fail due to the victim or their family’s lack of legal knowledge. That’s why it’s essential to seek help from a law firm with many years of experience in physical injury and wrongful death lawsuits against school systems.

Perhaps you are worried over how much it will cost to hire a lawyer, but let us assure you that we have a Zero Fee Guarantee policy. That means all attorneys’ fees are covered by the school district, as long as we win your case. If we don’t recover your settlement, you won’t be responsible for a single penny in legal fees.

Please take this opportunity to learn about your rights from an experienced school district negligence and misconduct lawsuit attorney. We look forward to speaking with you during a free, private consultation.