A sad case in Florida is prompting a new look at a law aimed at ensuring the safety of children in day-care vans. A 4-year-old child recently died of hyperthermia after being left in a day-care SUV. The parents are now suing the facility for the boy's wrongful death.
The SUV driver was allegedly transporting several children, including the victim, away from the day-care center to avoid citations from state inspectors because they were over-capacity. A driver for the day care let the other children out of the vehicle and into an apartment, but apparently failed to check that all of the children were out of the vehicle. It is estimated that the four-year-old was in the SUV for a minimum of two hours.
The day-care facility has since been closed and is now facing a criminal investigation. No charges have been filed, but the family filed a lawsuit alleging the facility was responsible for the wrongful death. The family is pushing for the law to be changed to force day-care centers to add a $10 device to their vehicles that may have saved this child's life.
The device emits an alarm after the ignition turns off. The alarm forces vehicle operators to walk to the back of the vehicle to turn it off. If the alarm isn't turned off by the driver, an external alarm will sound to alert people outside of the vehicle. Such a device could prevent future deaths by forgetful drivers. The 4-year-old boy is unfortunately the 16th child to die this year in the United States due to being left inside of a scorching vehicle.
When death is caused by the negligent actions of another, Florida families may have the legal right to file a wrongful death lawsuit. This case is a tragic and sad reminder of the dangers of leaving children unattended in hot vehicles. Many children are unable to remove themselves from their restraints and have no way to escape scorching temperatures. While the family has legal recourse in this case, nothing can bring their son back. Hopefully this case will force a harder look at what appears to be a rash of preventable deaths across the nation.
Source: Bradenton Herald, "Suit alleging wrongful death of Florida child left in day-care SUV promotes law," Julie K. Brown, Aug. 12, 2012
ohare airport etta james songs east west shrine game haywire underworld awakening dog the bounty hunter tacoma narrows bridge
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.