Tucson Judge Dismisses School Negligence Case, Awards Defendant $3,489
A student was riding her bicycle at an intersection after school when she was struck by a vehicle. The student suffered injuries. The student's family sued the school, alleging negligence for failing to provide a crossing guard. The school argued it had no duty to provide a crossing guard for off-campus travel. The court ruled in favor of the school.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Defense
- Amount
- $3,489
- County
- Pima County, AZ
- Resolved
- 2013
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Other
- Accident Type
- Pedestrian
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Negligence
Settlement Context
This verdict-defense of $3,489 is near the median of Undisclosed for other cases resolved by verdict-defense. The typical range is Undisclosed to $9,827, based on 107 cases in our database.
Case Overview
In October 2003, an eleven-year-old fifth-grade student at a charter school in Tucson, Arizona, was struck by a motor vehicle while riding a bicycle across an intersection after school. The incident occurred at the intersection of Alvernon and Speedway, where the school, Basis School, Inc., did not provide a school crossing guard, unlike other elementary schools in the Tucson Unified School District. The plaintiff suffered significant injuries as a result of the collision.
In July 2011, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against Basis School, Inc., in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona in Pima County. The plaintiff alleged the school was negligent for failing to provide a crossing guard, breaching its duty to prevent foreseeable harm, and creating an unreasonable risk of harm. The defendant denied any negligence and filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing there was no evidence it breached a cognizable duty to the student, nor was its conduct a proximate cause of the accident. The defendant also asserted that no state rule required it to provide crossing guards for off-campus travel and that parents were expressly informed such services were not offered.
In February 2013, the court entered judgment in favor of Basis School, Inc., finding the defendant was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The case was dismissed with prejudice, and the defendant was awarded costs totaling $3,489.55 plus interest.
Understanding This Case
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Pima County, Arizona. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2013, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome is within expected ranges
This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.
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