Was your family harmed by a school shooting in Fulton County, GA?
At Deitch + Rogers, we offer recognized representation to school shooting victims throughout Fulton County, GA.
If your child was shot at a Fulton County school, the criminal case will focus on the shooter. It will not examine the security failures that came before the shooting. Our Fulton County, GA school shooting lawyer pursues the civil claims that address those failures.
Our experience with shooting cases at Deitch + Rogers spans more than 40 years. Civil lawsuits for crime victims are the only work we do. Founding attorneys Gilbert Deitch and Andrew Rogers have tried these cases before Georgia juries. Schedule a free and confidential case review with our firm when your family is ready to talk.
School Shooting Lawyer Fulton County, GA
A school shooting lawyer files civil lawsuits for students, teachers, and visitors who were shot on school property or at a school event. The lawsuit seeks compensation from the parties whose negligence allowed an armed person to reach the victim. Those parties can include a private school, a security company, and a person who gave the shooter access to the gun. A civil claim uses a lower burden of proof than a prosecution, and the family decides whether to bring it. A Fulton County school shooting lawyer also identifies the insurance coverage available from each defendant.
Georgia’s firearm injury death rate is 17.6 per 100,000 people, according to CDC state data. Campuses in Fulton County include large public high schools, charter schools, and private academies. A school shooting attorney reviews the security plan that applied to the specific campus.
Types of School Shooting Cases We Handle in Fulton County, GA
School shootings in Fulton County happen in classrooms, in parking lots, and at evening events. The location determines which security measures should have been in place. Our school shooting attorneys handle the following cases.
- Shootings inside school buildings. An armed student or intruder reaches a hallway or classroom when entry controls fail. We examine door hardware, visitor screening, and weapons detection at the building. Maintenance requests and staff emails show how long a broken lock or disabled alarm was left in place.
- Parking lot and dismissal shootings. Arrival and dismissal bring large groups of students into open areas at fixed times. Our attorneys review patrol assignments, camera coverage, and earlier fights or gun incidents in the same lot. Lighting and fencing records are part of that review.
- Athletic event shootings. Football and basketball games draw crowds from outside the school community. Event security is often contracted out, so the claim depends on the staffing plan, the bag policy, and the screening at the gate.
- Shootings that followed reported threats. Students and parents often warn a school about a specific person before a shooting. We collect tip-line records, counselor notes, and messages sent to administrators. The school’s response to each warning is the central evidence.
- Off-campus event shootings. Proms, field trips, and team travel take students to venues the school selected. The venue owner and the event’s security provider owe duties to the students who attend.
- Security contractor failures. Private guard companies and event staffing firms accept responsibility for a campus by contract. A guard who left a post or ignored a report exposes the company to a negligence claim.
- Catastrophic injuries. Gunshot wounds cause spinal cord damage, brain injuries, and the loss of limbs. These cases require a detailed projection of lifetime medical and care costs.
- Wrongful death. The parents of a student who was killed can recover the full value of their child’s life in a civil claim. A separate claim covers funeral costs and the medical care provided before death.
Why Choose Deitch + Rogers as My School Shooting Lawyer in Fulton County, GA?
Recoveries for Shooting Victims and Their Families
Across all of our cases, clients have received more than $200 million in verdicts and settlements. Our shooting cases include these results:
- We obtained $10 million for a client who was shot on commercial property.
- A client’s paralysis from a gunshot wound led to a $9.75 million recovery.
- A jury returned a $5.1 million verdict in a wrongful death case that followed a hotel shooting.
- The family of a man killed in an apartment shooting received $1.35 million.
- A wrongful death claim after a robbery shooting resolved for $1.25 million.
Our fee is contingent on a recovery. We advance the cost of investigators, consulting specialists, and court filings. Those costs and our fee are repaid only from a settlement or a verdict. The school shooting attorneys at our firm use the same investigation methods in every case listed above.
Trial Attorneys With Record Premises Liability Verdicts
The premises liability verdicts won by Andrew Rogers were the highest in Georgia in four separate years: 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019. He holds a law degree from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. The National Crime Victim Bar Association counts him among its charter members.
Gilbert Deitch graduated from the University of Georgia in 1967 and from the University of Tennessee law school in 1970. He is licensed in Georgia and Tennessee. His articles on premises liability have appeared in TRIAL Magazine and the Fulton County Daily Report, and WSB-TV and WAGA-TV have interviewed him about victims’ rights. A family that hires a school injury lawyer in Fulton County, GA from our firm has our extensive record to support their case.
What Is Important to Understand About a School Shooting Case?
What Is the School Shooting Case Timeline?
Georgia gives most injury victims two years to file a lawsuit. Other timing rules apply to minors and to claims that involve public entities, so we calculate the deadline for each family member at the start.
Evidence preservation comes first. We send written demands for camera footage, threat reports, and security contracts before those records are lost. The police investigation and any prosecution proceed on their own schedule. Our school shooting attorneys handle communication with insurers during this period. A civil claim remains available even if the criminal case ends without a conviction.
The lawsuit is then filed with the civil division of the State Court of Fulton County or with the Superior Court. Discovery places administrators, security personnel, and company officers under oath. Mediation is the usual next step, and a case that does not settle is tried before a jury.
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for School Shooting Cases
The shooter is liable for an intentional act. Other defendants are liable for negligence, which means they failed to use ordinary care and that failure contributed to the shooting. Georgia law restricts many claims against public school districts, so we look closely at private schools, contractors, and individuals. Georgia law provides compensation for children hurt by gun violence, and a parent or guardian brings the claim for a minor.
- Emergency treatment, surgery, and rehabilitation costs are recoverable.
- Future care is included when the injury is permanent.
- Treatment for post-traumatic stress is part of the claim.
- Adult victims, including teachers and staff, can recover lost income.
- Physical pain and mental suffering are compensated.
- A jury can award punitive damages when a defendant consciously disregarded a known danger.
The Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program can pay some expenses while the civil case is pending.
What Are Important Aspects of a School Shooting Case?
A Fulton County school shooting attorney builds the case around four subjects:
- Foreseeability is the first subject, and it is shown through earlier threats, weapons incidents, and police calls to the campus.
- Security measures are the second subject. We compare the written safety plan with the staffing and equipment in use on the day of the shooting.
- Control of the premises is the third subject, because a private operator or contractor is often responsible for the building or the event.
- Access to the firearm is the fourth subject. An adult who gave a minor access to a gun can be liable for negligence.
What Should You Bring to Your School Shooting Consultation?
You don’t have to gather records before you speak with a school shooting lawyer in Fulton County. The following items are helpful if you have them:
- Hospital discharge papers and the names of treating doctors help us document the injury.
- Messages the school sent to parents before and after the shooting are useful.
- Any earlier complaint your family made about threats or safety should be included.
- The case number and the name of the investigating police agency allow us to request reports.
The case review is free. We listen to your account, describe the claims available to your family, and give you our honest view of the obstacles in the case.
Reach Out to Deitch + Rogers to Schedule a Consultation
Our school shooting attorneys offer a free case review to victims and families in Fulton County, GA. You pay nothing unless we obtain a recovery in your case. Contact us to set up a free consultation about the shooting and your family’s legal options. Our phones are answered at all hours, and we can meet whenever your family is ready.
(770) 588-0400 
1189 South Ponce de Leon Ave., NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30306 