Belleville Bullying Case Leads to Civil Suit Against School District

ST. LOUIS - July 19, 2013 - PRLog -- St. Louis personal injury attorneys from Meyerkord & Meyerkord, LLC are representing a Belleville mother who has recently filed suit against a local school district after her daughter was assaulted and physically injured by another student. The mother is claiming that Belleville Public School District 118 failed to uphold district policies when her daughter was hurt by a bully.

According to the personal injury claim, Belleville West Junior High did not have an aide on the school bus when the assault occurred. According to district and bus policy, an aide is to be present while children are on the bus. The mother is alleging that without the aide, another male student was free to tease her daughter about her weight. When the girl asked him to stop, he reportedly punched her in the face, breaking her nose. The mother is pursuing a personal injury claim against the district for $150,000, plus court costs. The school district issued a statement saying that it will not comment on the situation while the case is pending.

While a shocking and unwelcomed case, bullying in schools is rampant. Although bullying is by no means a new problem amongst children, the ways in which bullies are now victimizing other students have taken new forms. Despite the fact that bullying has changed, all teachers, bus drivers, and school districts should be aware of these problems and be prepared to address and resolve them before they go too far. According to Attorney Brian Kurth – the St. Louis personal injury lawyer from Meyerkord & Meyerkord representing the mother – it was the responsibility of the bus driver and the school district to stop this preventable incident – an incident that caused significant physical and emotional harm to the young girl.

“Bullying is a problem as any parent knows. Schools and bus drivers are aware of the problem, too. This incident could have been prevented. We’re trying to get fair compensation for everything our client has been through.”

As exemplified by Meyerkord & Meyerkord’s legacy of success in handling a wide range of personal injury claims, the firm is certainly capable of holding negligent and at-fault parties liable for their actions. In this case, just as in any case the firm works, clear and convincing evidence must be shown that the incident not only could have been prevented, but also that the school district failed to uphold their duties to keep students free from preventable harm. Should these elements be established, the young victim and her mother can obtain the sense of justice and compensation they deserve. More information about Meyerkord & Meyerkord can be found on their website: http://www.stlouis-personalinjury.com/.