Court backs $40M award to student infected by tick bite on school trip
Hartford Courant, August 12, 2017:
By Edmund H. Mahony
The state Supreme Court said Friday that schools have a duty to warn parents and students of potential hazards associated with field trips – in particular, dangerous insect bites – and let stand a $41.7 million verdict to a student who was disabled after developing encephalitis from a tick bite while on a school trip to China.
The high court clarified what it called the “affirmative duty” of schools to protect children in their care. But its decision does not definitively settle a case that insurers, schools and educational associations argue will determine how, or even if educational travel is offered in the future. READ MORE.
Wow.. that is a big verdict, and while I am ambivalent about the amount of the award, I hope it brings attention to the fact that Tick-Borne Diseases are a negated Global Pandemic suppressed primarily by the insurance-governmental complex ot of the good old USA. Why? They don’t want to pay for treatment of 20% of the population, which is infected.
Living on this planet is dangerous, but the crime is in the suppression and censoring of information that could help people.
Ok, I have a problem with this. Schools have a duty to warn parents and children? Of what? Everything under the sun that could harm them? When are we going to start holding parents accountable for their lack of interest, concern and guidance in raising their children? Any parent who sends their child outdoors anywhere at anytime should take responsibility for educating their child how to use repellent, identify insects and how to communicate to teachers when they have a bug on them. Parents should also speak to their child’s teacher about where the child will be going and to please make sure that their child applies insect repellent or wears the proper clothing, etc.. I would never ever send my child on any field trip without knowing the specifics and sending my child with any necessary equipment, meals, first aid, repellent, etc.. Only a lazy inattentive parent would expect the state to provide better care for their child than themselves. These parents sent their child to China and I wonder if they also sent a ventilator mask? I’m surprised they aren’t suing for exposure to air pollution. Thanks to this, none of the children in the school will be able to have field trips in the future. Both the family and the attorney should be ashamed of themselves. I’m sorry the child became so ill but I can’t agree with suing a school – especially for this amount of money. My gosh, are we now going to sue amusement and water parks if our child gets a mosquito bite and contracts encephalitis?
I agree with you completely. Parents need to educate their children as well as teachers. Do they expect chaperones or host families to conduct flea and tick checks on all the kids. I’m very sorry this happened to a child, it must must have been so frightening for the parents but that sum is very large and could go towards research into a better antidote for such bites.
I totally agree. What if kids fall down and scale their knee..?? What’s that worth in the courts..?? This has gotten out of control.
Why is the school being sued? Our government; the CDC, insurance companies, Big pharma, are denying even healthcare providers information about these infections and punishing doctors who try to properly treat the diseases by taking their licenses, so how can school officials know about them? Put the blame where it belongs; the greedy, money-grubbing members of the CDC, IDSA, insurance companies, and Big Pharma.
ANY attention brought to this INSIDIOUS pandemic is GREAT! Considering Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance companies DO NOT PAY for Tick Borne Illness. How many doctors have lost their licenses for treating people. How much physical, emotional, and financial damage has been done to people suffering from tick borne illnesses. I think this award is GREAT! Maybe this judgement will WAKE UP the world? This child, along with her family will be suffering from this illness for the rest of their lives!
Article does not reveal what kind of treatment was given for Lyme encephalitis for this student. Suspect she was not given the right treatment. In 2010 I got Lyme encephalitis and was bedridden, could not walk or talk, and after a series of misdiagnosis, a doctor at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore made the correct diagnosis. I was immediately given two weeks IV infusion of Ceftriaxone via PICC (gets the antibiotics close to the heart) and the inflammation of my brain disappeared and the Lyme disease was over. Speech and physical therapists then went to work on me for a couple of months and I returned to normalcy. Hope this young student can get the same treatment.
I disagree with a verdict of this size. Do you warn students of the potential to fall on a cracked sidewalk and fracture an arm or leg. The trouble with our court system is that our lawyers can make an argument for anything and compel a judge or jury to make a decision that affects all of us (increase insurance premiums). I have lyme from a tick bite in Disney the summer, I don’t recall seeing signs on the Disney property warning that there may be ticks and there is a risk of be infected! Maybe I will contact the lawyers in the school case!
That amount is just plain crazy.
Please note that Lyme and co-infections are not solely tick borne diseases. So what’s next..?? Mosquito bites, which can carry Lyme and other diseases..?? Schools need to have adequit insurance to cover the medical costs and malpractice or wrong doing. Parents need to way the risk vs reward of any trips and educate their kids on maintaining safety in all areas of traveling.