Horry County family suing school district after student’s finger amputated by desk
Horry County, S.C. (WPDE) — An Horry County family is suing the Horry County School District after the student’s finger was amputated when “another student sitting in a desk improperly fell over,” according to a lawsuit filed in April.
The lawsuit states the incident happened in November 2017.
The family is saying there were no warnings or signs telling the student of “dangerous conditions” nor were there employees at the scene to warn the student of the “sharp edges of the desk” or to supervise the other child, according to court documents.
The lawsuit states the school district was negligent:
a. In failing to maintain the premises in a safe, clean and reasonably prudent manner
b. In failing to provide a reasonably safe premises for the use by the Plaintiff
c. In stocking desks with sharp edges
d. In stocking and supplying desks without safety edges
e. In providing dangerous desks to students
f. In having knowledge of the dangerous desk prior to the incident
g. In failing to supervise the student who toppled the desk
h. In failing to properly maintain and/or implement any reasonable system of inspection of said premises and the desks
i. In permitting and allowing the said premises to remain in a dangerous and/or hazardous condition including the desks
j. In failing to warn the Plaintiff that said premises and desk was in a dangerous and/or hazardous condition when it knew, or should have known, of the dangerous and/or hazardous condition
k. In failing to provide any signs or warning signs to the Plaintiff of the dangerous and/or hazardous condition of the desks
l. In failing to place signs in a conspicuous manner and in a conspicuous place to warn the Plaintiff of the dangerous and/or hazardous condition existing of the desks
m. In failing to notify the Plaintiff through its agents and/or employees of the dangerous and/or hazardous condition existing regarding the desk
n. In failing to replace the desks
o. In failing to require the student to sit correctly in the desk
p. In failing to use that degree of skill and care that an ordinary and reasonable person would have done under similar and like circumstances
The lawsuit states the student suffered painful and permanent injuries and will continue to suffer pain and discomfort.
The lawsuit doesn’t state which school the incident happened at or how old the student was at the time.
The family is asking for actual and punitive damages.
We reached out to the school district for comment. Lisa Bourcier, the director of Strategic Communications and Community Engagement for Horry County Schools sent the following statement:
"The District does not provide any commentary on substantive matters relating to pending litigation."
