Student seriously injured in West Chicago high school PE class accident

Shortly before the Christmas break, a student at Community High School in West Chicago was seriously injured when she fell approximately 20 feet to a rubberized floor while participating in a rope obstacle course.  The exact cause of the fall is currently under investigation by school authorities.

Falls from heights frequently produce serious injuries which is why extensive safety precautions were required for this particular obstacle course.  According to the news story, there were a number of safety measures, including the use of harnesses.  These were obviously not enough to assure the safety of this student.

Cases involving accidents at public schools, especially those involving physical education classes, are always exceedingly difficult because of the various immunities that public schools and teachers have negligence suits.  Additionally, although liability waivers are not enforceable for children, it is a reasonable guess that the district obtained a waiver for the student to participate in the obstacle course. 

There are also a number legal doctrines which could make recovering compensation in a slip and fall suit difficult for this injured student.  Because of this, as experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers, we would recommend considering a defective product suit against the harness manufacturer, if the investigation shows that one is warranted.

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