A Raleigh mom lost her leg after falling at school. Now she’ll get $1.5 million.

Nov. 21--RALEIGH -- The Wake County school system and its insurance carrier have agreed to pay $1.5 million to a parent whose left leg had to be amputated after she fell at a historic Raleigh elementary school in 2015.

Karen Clark filed a lawsuit in June saying that she suffered "major, catastrophic and life-changing injuries" on Sept. 29, 2015 when she fell on a wet, slippery surface while entering Wiley Elementary School to pick up her child.

Wake school board attorney Jonathan Blumberg announced Tuesday night that the lawsuit had been settled "due to the likelihood of expensive, protracted litigation and the potential for an extremely large jury award."

Under the settlement, the school system doesn't admit to any liability for the accident. But Blumberg said that after the accident extra measures were implemented to improve Wiley's entrance walkway.

"School safety is and continues to be a core value for WCPSS," Blumberg said. "The school board regrets the injuries Ms. Clark experienced and wishes her the very best."

Clark's attorneys did not return a request for comment Wednesday.

The Clark case was one of two settlement announced Tuesday night totaling more than $2 million. In the second case, the school system and its insurer agreed to pay $550,000 to the family of a student who suffered a head injury from a fall at East Cary Middle School.

Wiley's campus on St. Mary's Street near downtown Raleigh dates back to 1923. Students and staff have temporarily relocated to a site in Garner while the district performs a $31 million renovation of the campus.

The renovation project at Wiley is a challenge because the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. That means the renovation work includes historic preservation. The entrance area where the accident happened was demolished as part of the school's previously scheduled renovation, according to Tim Simmons, a school district spokesman.

Clark says in her lawsuit filed in Wake County Superior Court that as she entered Wiley three years ago she fell due to an unsafe surface at the entryway. The lawsuit says that the accident left Clark with serious, painful and permanent injuries requiring medical and psychiatric care and physical therapy.

Blumberg said in the settlement announcement that Clark experienced a severe leg injury that ultimately resulted in her left leg being amputated above the knee.

The lawsuit accused the school district of failing to remove water or maintaining the entry area to Wiley in such a way to prevent it from becoming unreasonably dangerous.

Blumberg said that the district's insurance carrier recommended settling the lawsuit. Wake will pay $250,000, with the insurance company covering the remaining $1.25 million.

"The Wake County Board of Education offers its support and sympathy to Ms. Karen Clark following a 2015 accident that resulted in serious injuries," Blumberg said.

T. Keung Hui: 919-829-4534, @nckhui

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