High School Dance Horror

We recently concluded a case involving high school senior that was injured at a school dance. The case took nearly 7 years to finally conclude. The claim began when our client, age 19 attended a high school dance in a large auditorium. Students were allowed to perform their own, freestyle dances. The school allowed the students to form a large circle and individuals or groups of students would enter the center of the circle in order to perform their various routines. The school had no plan for the dance, no rules and, virtually no supervision. Essentially, the students were allowed to perform any type of dance or maneuver they chose. Our client, an athletic gymnast, decided that he and his partner would perform a lift-assisted back flip. The stunt went horribly wrong when the airborne student failed to complete the rotation and smashed his head on the hardwood floor.

Fire rescue was called. The student was unresponsive, and when he did come to, became agitated and in distress. He was handcuffed to avoid further injury. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a fractured skull and bleeding into his brain.

The hospital visit lasted more than 5 months. Our client developed a massive brain bleed over the days following the fall that required multiple brain surgeries. He was transferred to a rehabilitation facility for many months and has lived for more than 5 years in a nursing home where he repetitively counts playing cards as a daily activity.

The claims involved negligent supervision against the school, negligence against the fellow-student that launched him into the air and medical malpractice cases against the healthcare providers that failed to provide timely intervention, care and treatment. The added insult is this young man was here on a student visa – he is now subject to deportation. This complex negligence and medical malpractice claim was resolved in our client’s favor thereby providing him with the means to receive supervised care and attention for the remainder of his life. This tragedy has resulted in the school implementing significant changes in the protocols of their supervision to hopefully avoid another tragic injury.

Here at Jeffrey R. Davis, P.A. we work on significant personal injury claims on behalf of injured victims. If you have been injured due to negligent supervision, medical malpractice or any other injury claim, please call Jeffrey R. Davis, P.A. for a free consultation.