{"id":373034,"date":"2017-05-05T15:44:29","date_gmt":"2017-05-05T20:44:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/illinois-law\/how-to-sue-a-school-in-chicago-for-injuries.html"},"modified":"2017-06-14T17:18:15","modified_gmt":"2017-06-14T22:18:15","slug":"how-to-sue-a-school-in-chicago-for-injuries","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/illinois-law\/how-to-sue-a-school-in-chicago-for-injuries.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Sue a School in Chicago for Injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How to Sue a School in Chicago for Injuries<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

If you are thinking of suing your child’s school in Chicago for injuries, know ahead of time that it can be a confusing and uphill battle. Public schools, as government institutions, enjoy special government immunity<\/a> from certain kinds of liability. That means the school district can’t be sued unless it agrees to the lawsuit (highly unlikely).<\/p>\n

Two separate laws provide immunities to school districts and their employees from lawsuits; the Local Government and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act<\/a> (The Tort Immunity Act, for short) and the Tort Liability of Schools Act<\/a>. Yes, we know. The language is dense and confusing. Here we will provide you a brief overview of the law, including general time limits and where to file your claim.<\/p>\n

A word of caution. Before bringing any lawsuit, you may want to at least consider consulting an attorney specializing in education law<\/a> or a local legal aid provider<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Grounds for Your Lawsuit<\/h2>\n

There are several reasons you may want to file a lawsuit against your Chicago school district. If your child was injured at school, you might want to file a negligence lawsuit. Other more common reasons parents sue include: <\/p>\n