In May 2019, a school trip accident near Benátky nad Jizerou left a young girl named Terezka with lifelong health consequences after she was struck by a car while crossing a road. The bus carrying children returning from a school trip had stopped at a filling station where the toilets were occupied, leading the teacher to allow Terezka and a classmate to use a nearby thicket. According to court documents cited previously by Seznam Zprávy, the teacher did not watch where the girls went as they crossed a busy second-class road.
Family faces years of legal battles
The family has spent seven years pursuing legal action for damages, facing a prolonged judicial process. An initial court split the liability 50-50 between the school and Terezka. However, in March of this year, the Prague Regional Court altered that ruling and assigned full liability for the accident entirely to the school. Terezka’s lawyer, Nataša Randlová, noted to Novinky that the family has years of legal battles still ahead of them.
Did You Know?
The legal proceedings stem from a May 2019 accident that occurred after children returning from a school trip stopped at a filling station near Benátky nad Jizerou.
Včera jsem měla jednání s rodiči holčičky, které se stala závažná nehoda na školním výletu. Holčička přežila a je doživotně těžce handicapovaná. Zodpovědná je škola. Je to odsouzeno soudem. Náhrada škody ve výši desítek milionů. Škola pojištěna na 10 milionu. Zbytek by měl…
School appeals regional court ruling to Supreme Court
In July, ZŠ Vrané nad Vltavou appealed the binding March ruling of the Prague Regional Court by taking the case to the Supreme Court, where it remains pending. Dana Ullwerová of Vrané nad Vltavou, pointed out that the regional court issued an interim judgment addressing the basis of the dispute, meaning the precise amount of compensation is not yet being decided. Randlová explained that the school’s insurance policy has a limit of ten million koruna, with nearly half of that sum already tied up in a health insurance company claim for saving Terezka’s life and covering related medical costs.
Municipality faces remainder of potential compensation costs
The school held insurance with Generali Česká pojišťovna, which stated generally in response to inquiries that this type of insurance counts claims from all injured parties within the policy limit. Meanwhile, Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna (VZP) is legally required to seek reimbursement for covered health services when harm results from a third party’s culpable unlawful conduct, as noted by VZP spokesperson Viktorie Plívová. Středočeská Petra Pecková warned via social media that if the final compensation reaches tens of millions of koruna, the remainder could fall on the municipality as the school’s founder, forcing years of debt repayment.
The Ministry of Education does not centrally track school insurance policies, and current regulations do not establish minimum insurance limits for schools. Ondřej Macura, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, stated that evaluating risks and setting appropriate insurance protection remains the responsibility of the school’s founder and management.
Supreme Court appeal follows court liability rulings
When did the accident happen?
The accident occurred in May 2019 when Terezka was struck by a car while crossing a road near Benátky nad Jizerou.
Which courts have reviewed the liability?
An initial court divided liability equally between the school and Terezka, but the Prague Regional Court shifted full liability to the school in March, a decision the school appealed to the Supreme Court in July.
What is the status of the school’s insurance?
The school’s insurance policy holds a ten million koruna limit with Generali Česká pojišťovna, though a substantial portion of that amount is claimed by the health insurance provider for emergency medical care.
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