Personal Injuries on Church Property

Key point 10-11. A church may be legally responsible on the basis of negligent supervision for injuries resulting from a failure to exercise adequate supervision of its programs and activities.

Negligence as a Basis for Liability

* The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that a school was not legally responsible for injuries suffered by a child who was struck by a car when he ran off of school property onto a street. While this case involved a public school student, the court's decision is directly relevant to churches. A 12-year-old boy (Todd) walked to school each day and one morning arrived 30 minutes before the start of the school day. The school building was open and accessible prior to the start of the school day, and children who entered the building were supervised. But no supervision was provided for the school grounds until school started. Like most students who arrived early, Todd chose ...