It depends - in New York, a child's school injury case can be worth a few thousand dollars for a short-lived injury or six figures and up if there is permanent harm, surgery, brain injury, spinal damage, or visible scarring.

The biggest exceptions and edge cases are these:

• Who the claim is against. If the injury happened at a public school in Queens, including a New York City public school, you usually must serve a Notice of Claim within 90 days on the right public entity, often the New York City Department of Education or the City of New York. Miss that deadline and value can drop to zero fast. A private school or daycare is different; the usual negligence deadline is generally 3 years, and a child's time to sue is often paused, but the parents' own claims are not paused the same way.
• How bad the injury is. A sprain with a full recovery is usually worth far less than a fracture, concussion, dental injury, eye injury, or anything causing long-term pain, therapy, learning problems, or missed school activities.
• Proof of fault. Cases are worth more when there is clear evidence of negligent supervision, a dangerous condition, prior complaints, broken playground equipment, or incident reports from staff.
• Medical records matter more than guesses. Emergency room records, pediatric follow-ups, imaging, and specialist notes drive value. Gaps in treatment usually hurt.
• Parents do not just pocket the settlement. In New York, a minor's settlement usually needs court approval through an infant compromise order. The money often goes into a restricted account or structured annuity until the child turns 18.
• Extra claims may exist. Parents may also have separate claims for out-of-pocket medical costs and, in serious cases, lost earnings from caring for the child.

If the injury involved a school bus or other vehicle, New York's no-fault rules and the serious injury threshold can add another layer.