Keep an Eye on Children in Hot Cars This Summer

By Grant Law Office on May 23, 2012

Each summer, as temperatures climb, so do reports about children losing their lives after being left in a closed vehicle baking in the sun. With this year’s unseasonably warm spring weather, two deaths have already been reported in two separate states. Infants in both Missouri and Texas have lost their lives after accidentally being left in the family vehicle as the sun shone and outdoor temps climbed into the 80s.

About 38 children lose their lives nationwide each year after becoming locked inside a hot vehicle, according to research from San Francisco State University. The majority of them are young children riding in safety seats who are simply overlooked. Often, the caregiver is on a different schedule than usual or gets distracted and doesn’t realize a child has been left in the car.

About 20 percent of children who lose their lives in overheating cars get in because they are playing around the vehicle or in its trunk, and then are locked in. Parents and caregivers can help prevent these deaths and injuries by always locking the vehicle after double-checking that everyone is outside it, by keeping keys where children can’t reach them, and by never allowing kids to play in the car.

If a child you love has been injured by the possible negligence of a caregiver or by a defective auto product, please don’t hesitate to call an experienced Atlanta child injury lawyer at The Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C. We can help you figure out what happened and hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. For a free, confidential telephone consultation, call our office today at (404) 995-3955.