South Florida Injury Law Firm Attorneys Broward Palm Beach Case Review

Frustrated Drivers Cause More Accidents

October 27, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Auto Accidents

You hopefully already realize that you should not drive when you’re intoxicated, distracted, or overly tired. But one thing you might not realize is that your mood can also impair your driving ability and make you more likely to be in an accident. In fact, if you frequently find yourself frustrated behind the wheel, you may be taking unnecessary risks and failing to fully focus on the road.

Unfortunately, frustration seems to be a common state of mind for many drivers in Florida (and around the country) today. Some of the most frequently-cited causes of on-the-road frustration include:

Slow drivers. One of the biggest frustrations for many drivers is being held up by people who are traveling well under the speed limit; in fact, 60% of respondents in a survey reported in The Telegraph said that they experience increased stress and irritability when confronted with a car that isn’t keeping up with traffic (the respondents were British, but it’s safe to say that many American drivers feel the same way). Drivers who feel that the car in front of them is moving too slowly are more likely to tailgate and attempt dangerous overtaking maneuvers.

Long commutes. The average commute time in the US is 25.4 minutes, but in many major metropolitan areas, this time jumps to closer to an hour. It’s not too surprising that drivers who spend that much time in their car may find themselves getting more easily frustrated.

Crowded areas. Metropolitan areas with lots of cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, and pedestrians often become congested, especially during rush hour. Drivers in these areas may also be frustrated due to less available parking and more frequent stops (in traffic and at intersections).

Texting and driving. A 2012 “drivers’ gripes” survey from Consumer Reports found that texting while driving was the behavior that most annoyed respondents, receiving an 8.9 on a 1-10 nuisance level. Texting while driving is now illegal in Florida, but unfortunately, some drivers still engage in this incredibly dangerous and frustrating behavior.

Drivers who fail to be courteous. It’s understandably annoying when other drivers tailgate, don’t wait their turn at a 4-way stop, cut you off while merging onto the highway, or engage in other uncourteous behaviors. Unfortunately, two cities in Florida—Orlando and Miami—rank in the top 10 for least courteous cities in the country.

Why Frustration Is Dangerous—and What You Can Do About It

Driving while in a negative emotional state can cause you to become distracted without you even realizing it. Some of the risks associated with frustrated driving include:

Impaired observation and slower reaction times
Becoming detached from other vehicles and drivers (i.e. starting to think of other drivers as obstacles and annoyances rather than real people), which may cause drivers to take risks that they wouldn’t have otherwise
Making risky maneuvers to get ahead in traffic, such as cutting over several lanes at a time, not leaving enough space when changing lanes, or even driving on the shoulder
Losing the ability to perform driving skills that require precise timing, such as merging onto the freeway or adjusting speed when the traffic ahead is slowing

While you might think that it’s impossible to just leave a bad mood at home, “I was frustrated” isn’t a valid excuse for getting into an accident. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce your likelihood of becoming frustrated on your drive.

Leave extra time for your commute. Sometimes the simplest solutions are also the best. If you often find yourself getting frustrated because you feel like you’re rushing to get to work or other commitments on time, factor in some extra time to the usual length of your commute as “cushioning” so that if something comes up and you are held up in traffic, you won’t be as anxious.

Find something that calms you down (but doesn’t take your attention off the road). Take deep breaths, count slowly to 10, or listen to calming music—do whatever will best help you relax without distracting you. If you get to the point where you’re so frustrated that you can’t concentrate on the task of driving, find somewhere safe to pull over until you calm down. It’s not worth taking the risk of being in a car accident just to get to your destination a few minutes faster.

Find a less stressful route. If one particular route always stresses you out and it’s feasible to take another route, do so. Even if one route is slightly longer, it may end up being faster because there is less traffic (or it may at least be more scenic and relaxing).

Don’t engage with an aggressive driver. If a driver honks, yells at you, or flips you off, don’t take the bait and retaliate. When you retaliate, you are more likely to cause the situation to escalate and make both you and the other driver more frustrated.

Be aware when you start to become frustrated while driving and do your best to change your mood. Remember, you can’t control traffic, but you can control your reaction to it.

Most Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse

October 20, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Nursing Home Abuse

As America’s population ages, more and more elderly people are moving into these nursing homes. These facilities are supposed to provide residents with the medical care, daily assistance, and social environment that they need to live comfortably, but unfortunately, far too many residents experience neglect and abuse in these settings.

Research conducted in 2000 by the National Center on Elder Abuse revealed that almost half (44%) of more than 2,000 nursing home residents had suffered some form of abuse, and an astounding 95% had either been neglected or seen someone being neglected in their nursing home. Fourteen years later, frequent news stories about elder abuse reveal that this issue has not been resolved.

If you live in a nursing home or have a loved one who lives in one of these facilities and you have experienced or witnessed any kind of abuse, the best way to put a stop to it is to come forward and hold the caregiver who is engaging in this kind of inappropriate behavior accountable. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you take legal action against an abusive party and even recover compensation for any injuries or financial harm. If you are unsure whether you should come forward because you don’t know whether a caregiver’s behavior constitutes abuse, review the most common types of nursing home abuse below.

Neglect

Neglect is the most common form of nursing home abuse and is present in more than half of all reported cases. Neglect can be either intentional or unintentional on the part of the caregiver and may involve things like failing to provide basic life necessities (food, water, medicine, etc.), failing to keep a resident’s living space clean and safe, or failure to address and treat health problems.

Physical or Sexual Abuse

Physical abuse involves non-accidental, physical force used against a resident, including hitting, kicking, pushing, shaking, slapping, pinching, and burning. Force-feeding, inappropriately using physical restraints, or using any kind of physical punishment also fall into the category of physical nursing home abuse.

Sexual abuse involves any kind of non-consensual sexual act with a nursing home resident. This could involve rape, but non-physical sexual acts can also be a form of sexual abuse. These include forcing a nursing home resident to look at pornography, watch sex acts, or undress while others watch.

Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse is not always as visible as physical abuse and neglect, but it can still be incredibly harmful to a resident’s health and mental wellbeing. Psychological abuse and manipulation may include humiliating a resident in front of other residents or caretakers, engaging in verbal insults or threats, verbal harassment, or forcing a resident into social isolation.

Financial Exploitation

Sadly, unscrupulous caregivers may take advantage of a resident’s perceived vulnerability in order to misuse their money. Acts of financial exploitation in a nursing home might include identity theft, forging a resident’s signature, stealing a resident’s income checks or other sources of money, or misusing a resident’s checks or banking accounts.

All these examples of abuse aren’t just immoral, they are illegal. If a caretaker is found to be engaging in this behavior, they may face criminal charges. However, residents and their families can also file a civil lawsuit against neglectful or abusive caretakers in order to recover money for medical bills, pain and suffering, and/or misused finances. Working with a personal injury attorney who has handled nursing home abuse cases before will give you your best chance of recovering compensation.

About the Author:

Jeffrey Braxton is a trial lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who has devoted his 22-year career to the practice of personal injury law. As lead trial attorney for The South Florida Injury Law Firm, Jeff has litigated thousands of cases and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an exclusive group of attorneys who have resolved cases in excess of one million dollars..

What To Do If You’re Bitten by a Dog

October 6, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Dog Bites / Animal Attacks

What To Do If You’re Bitten by a Dog

An estimated 4.5 million Americans suffer from a dog bite every year, and one out of every five of those bites is serious enough to call for medical attention, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Hopefully you can avoid being one of these statistics, but it’s important to be prepared and know what to do if you or a loved one is bitten by a dog. Check out the tips below, and always call a doctor if the wound seems serious or if you don’t know the vaccination status of the dog.

Clean and sterilize superficial wounds. If you have a small scrape as opposed to a puncture wound, you most likely won’t need to go to a doctor. Run water over the wound, and then use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to sterilize it. Dab on a topical antibiotic and cover the wound with a bandage. Apply the antibiotic up to two times a day until the wound completely heals.

Apply pressure to a puncture wound. Get a clean towel and firmly hold it over the wound to stop the bleeding. If the bleeding does not stop after about five minutes, or if the wound was to your head or neck, call 911.

If you know the owner of the dog, ask to see vaccination records. Although rabies is relatively rare, you need to make sure that the dog that bit you is up to date on its vaccinations. If the owner does not have the vaccination records or if you don’t know who the dog’s owner is, you’ll need to see your doctor.

Contact animal control if you were bitten by a stray dog. Although your first priority should be to get medical attention, you should alert your local animal control department as soon as possible if you were bitten by a stray or unknown dog. Never attempt to catch or hold a dog that you do not know.

Know When to Call Your Doctor

Although not all dog bites require medical attention, you need to recognize the situations when you should see your doctor. Call your doctor if:

You don’t know the vaccination status of the dog (or know that the dog wasn’t up to date on its vaccinations)
Your last tetanus shot was more than five years ago
The bite is to your hand, foot, or head
The bite is deep or won’t stop bleeding
You have any disease or condition that weakens or suppresses your immune system
The area around the bite feels warm or tender, looks red or swollen, or pus is oozing from the bite
You develop a fever

When you go to the doctor, he or she will look for signs of infection as well as any nerve, tendon, or bone damage. They will then clean the wound and give you an antibiotic to prevent infection. They may also ask you to schedule an appointment in a few days so that they can check on the wound again. If you don’t know the dog’s vaccination status and the dog was showing symptoms of rabies (such as extreme aggression and lack of coordination), you will need to start a series of rabies shots as soon as possible. If you were bitten by a stray dog, animal control will try to find the dog so that they can test it for rabies.

If you or a family member was bitten by a dog because of the negligence of the owner, talk to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. The dog owner may be liable for the bite, and you may be able to receive compensation for medical expenses and other costs associated with the accident.

Common Road Hazards to Look Out for on a Motorcycle

September 29, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Motorcycle Accidents

When you’re driving a car, you might not really notice an uneven patch of road or a slick surface (although it never hurts to slow down). However, when you’re riding a motorcycle, even a seemingly small road hazard can result in a serious crash. And when a motorcyclist does crash, they have a lot less protection than someone in a car.

No motorcycle rider is immune to the risks of road hazards, even if they’ve been riding for years without incident. To help minimize your chances of being in an accident, familiarize yourself with some of the most common motorcycle road hazards so that you know what to watch out for.

Slick Surfaces

Rain and ice are common culprits behind slick roads, but motorcyclists should watch out for slick surfaces even if the sky is clear and the weather’s nice, since other liquids like oil spots and fresh paint can also cause a motorcycle to lose traction. Motorcyclists need to remember that whenever they see a slick road, they need to slow down and stay alert. Use both brakes, as relying on the front brake can cause motorcyclists to lose control and flip over their handlebars. Avoid the slickest area if possible, but don’t suddenly swerve to try to avoid an oil spot or other hazard.

Uneven Roads

Worn out roads or roads that are partially torn up while they’re under construction can be a huge hazard for motorcyclists. The publication Women Riders Now recommends staying in one lane as much as possible and watching out for divets (depressions in the road), which can cause a rider to lose control. If you commute on your motorcycle and regularly encounter rough roads, look for alternate routes when possible.

Loose Gravel

Gravel is particularly dangerous when it becomes unexpectedly deep or when a motorcycle rider hits gravel on pavement while going around a corner. If you can’t avoid a gravel road, it’s best to try to find the area of the road with the least dense gravel. Just like with slick roads, you should slow down and avoid relying solely on your front brake. However, you should also maintain some speed, as this will keep the bike more stable.

Animals

An animal running into the road is the worst nightmare of many motorcycle riders, especially those who live somewhere with a lot of deer. Sadly, collisions with deer or other large animals are often fatal for motorcyclists. If you notice a deer or other wild animal on the side of the road while you’re riding, be sure to cover your brakes, as there may be more ahead. Also keep an eye out for animal crossing signs, and come to a full stop if you see a large animal like a moose on the road ahead of you. Invest in good headlights if you’re planning on riding at night and, of course, wear a helmet (this applies to any time you plan to ride, not just when you’re planning on riding in an area where there may be wild animals).

Debris

It’s often hard to see and anticipate obstacles such as tree branches, large pieces of trash, or shredded car tires on the road until you get close to them. If you have enough room to move around the object instead of hitting it, you should do so—make sure there are no vehicles in your blind spot, lean in the direction you want to turn, and press the inside of the hand grip in order to stabilize yourself and hopefully avoid tipping. If you are unable to move around the debris, avoid braking suddenly. Hold the hand grips tightly, stay straight, and stand up slightly on your foot pegs to absorb some of the shock.

Keeping the Roads Safe

You should obviously do everything that you can to avoid an accident on your motorcycle, but if you do get into an accident, try not to panic. Get off the road as soon as possible, call for help, and get the medical attention you need. After you’ve received medical attention, think about what caused your accident. If it was something like a pothole or a road that suddenly turned rough with no warning sign, the city or county may be liable. Work with a personal injury attorney to hold the responsible party accountable; you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries and promote change so that your local roads are safer for other riders.

About the Author:

Building a Backyard Pool in Florida: Safety Measures You’ll Need

September 22, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Swimming Pool Accidents

With beautiful weather year-round, Florida is an ideal place to build a residential swimming pool. However, if you and your family are thinking of improving your backyard by adding your very own pool, there are a few safety measures that you’ll need to consider first.

That’s because Florida has a Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act that requires all pools built after October 1, 2000 to have specific safety features. The Act (which has actually been a law since 2009) was implemented in an effort to prevent drowning accidents in the state that has the highest drowning rate in the country for children ages 1-14.

Whether you’re just now building a swimming pool or you have a home pool that was built before 2000 and doesn’t meet the current safety standards, do your part to prevent drowning accidents. Here are the minimum safety features your pool should include.

Features to Help Keep Your Pool Safe

The Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act actually only requires that you have one of the following safety features, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add more in an effort to make your pool as secure as possible.

Safety pool cover. Your cover can be either manual or power-operated, but it needs to meet the performance standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Modern power-operated pool covers tend to be a good choice because they can completely seal the pool when not in use.

Barrier. Florida has strict requirements for what constitutes a pool barrier. Your barrier needs to be at least 4 feet high, may not have any gaps or other openings that a young child could crawl through, must go all the way around the perimeter of the pool, and needs to be far enough away from the pool that a child or medically frail person who fell through the barrier would not immediately fall in the water. Any gate in the barrier must be self-closing and have a release latch on the inside of the enclosure, where a child could not easily reach it from outside the barrier.

Home exit alarm. Although not as common as enclosures or pool covers, you can choose to install a home exit alarm on all doors or windows that have direct access to the pool. However, keep in mind that your pool still needs to have some kind of barrier to prevent children in the neighborhood—not just your own kids—from getting in the pool undetected.

Child-proof latching device. You may choose to install a self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism at least 54 inches off the ground on any door leading out to your pool. As with the home exit alarm, this is best paired with some kind of barrier in order to protect both your own kids and potentially trespassing neighborhood children.

Pool Safety Is Worth the Investment

The Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act isn’t just an elaborate plan to get you to spend more money when building your pool; backyard pool drowning is a major issue in Florida, and it’s important that all homeowners with pools do what they can to minimize this risk. The initial cost of adding something like a barrier or a pool cover is far less than the cost of a life.

When Might a Property Owner Be Liable for Negligent Security?

September 8, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Negligent Security

When a crime occurs on someone else’s property and you are injured as a result, the obvious response is to hold the person who committed the crime responsible. Hopefully the criminal will be caught and will face penalties for what they have done, but there’s no guarantee that they will be caught—or that they’ll have to pay reparations to you even if they are.

In this type of situation, you may need to look at whether or not the crime occurred on a property that was not reasonably secure. If the property owner failed to maintain a safe environment and you were attacked or injured on their premises, they may be liable, and you can work with a personal injury lawyer to ensure that you are compensated for any medical bills, loss of income, and other associated costs.

How do you know if you should call a personal injury lawyer? If you’re ever unsure about whether you have a case, you should ask an attorney, but you can start by reading through the common types of negligent security cases below.

4 Common Examples of Negligent Security

A worker commits a crime after a business fails to do a background check. In some cases, you might actually be attacked by someone who has easy access to the property because they work for the property owner. If this happens and you are able to determine that the property owner or hiring company did not do a background check—or did not take note of previously problematic behavior—then the property owner may be at least partially responsible for your injury.

The property has inadequate lighting. If you have good reason to be on a property at night (for example, you are staying late to finish work at your office in a business park), then the property owner needs to provide lighting in areas like stairwells, walkways, parking lots, and parking garages. When someone takes advantage of a darkened space to attack you, you will most likely have a negligent security case—especially if crimes have occurred in the poorly lit area before.

The property owner failed to employ security guards or cameras where appropriate. Not every property is going to need security cameras or security guards, but there are some places where they are reasonable measures. For example, a convenience store that has experienced robberies in the past could reasonably be expected to have security cameras, and a bar where there have been fights in the past could reasonably be expected to employ security guards. When property owners fail to employ the security measures that are necessary to keep their property safe, they could be held liable.

The rental property owner fails to repair broken locks or windows. It’s not just commercial building owners who may be liable in a negligent security case; a rental property owner could be held responsible for injuries to their tenants if someone is able to break into the property due to broken or insufficient locks or windows—especially if the tenants previously alerted the landlord about the problem and it still wasn’t repaired.

If you or a loved one was injured under any of the above circumstances—or in any other situation where a property owner failed to maintain a reasonably safe environment—fight for compensation with a skilled personal injury attorney.

About the Author:

5 of the Biggest Toy Recalls in the US

September 2, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Product Liability Toy Recalls

As a parent, you have to be careful what kind of toys you buy for your children. Small parts are out if your child is of an age where they want to stick everything in their mouth, and sharp edges are always a bad idea. In general, you need to be sure the toys you buy are age-appropriate for your child, and you probably determine that in part by the toy labels that tell you exactly what age range each toy is designed for.

But what happens when those toys aren’t as age-appropriate or safe as they claim to be? Unfortunately, toy recalls are all too common, and children’s products accounted for 42% of all recalls between 2006 and 2011. Here’s a look at 5 of the biggest toy recalls from the last few years, and what you should do if one of your child’s toys undergoes a similar recall.

Mattel Magnetic and Lead-Contaminated Toys. Lead is banned in US toys because of the associated health risks, but in 2007 toy giant Mattel was forced to recall 436,000 toys depicting characters from the movie “Cars” because the Chinese-manufactured products were covered in lead paint. At the same time, Mattel issued another recall for 18.2 million magnetized toys because they realized that the magnets posed a choking hazard for young children.Mattel vowed to monitor their Chinese contractors and subcontractors more closely in the wake of these huge recalls.

Aqua-Leisure Inflatable Baby Boats. As the name suggests, this product was designed to allow infants and toddlers to float in the pool. However, the straps that held the baby’s legs in place had a tendency to tear, allowing the young child to fall through. Although it eventually came to light that Aqua-Leisure knew about the problem since at least 2003, the company did not recall the product until 2009—after there had been at least 30 drowning deaths.

Aqua Dots. Aqua Dots were a popular type of arts and crafts bead in 2007, until the Consumer Product Safety Commission discovered that the beads were coated in a chemical that, when swallowed, would metabolize into gamma hydroxy-buturate (better known as the date rape drug). Children who ingested the beads experienced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, and in extreme cases even went into a comatose state, and Aqua Dots’ manufacturer was forced to recall the product.

Lawn Darts. As you can probably imagine, a toy with extremely sharp, weighted points that children could throw around the yard was never a good idea, yet lawn darts became a popular product in the 1980s. Lawn darts caused the death of at least 3 children, and they were actually banned in the US once in the ‘80s, but the manufacturer challenged the ban and was able to continue selling the product as long as they were only marketed to adults. A father who lost his daughter in a lawn dart accident eventually convinced the CPSC to ban lawn darts outright and pull them from store shelves.

Cabbage Patch Snacktime Dolls. Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but one type of doll that was designed to “eat” small snacks using a motor turned out to be seriously dangerous. The problem was that the motor was triggered not just by snacks, but by children’s hair and fingers, and there was no power switch to stop the doll from causing injury. Mattel announced a voluntary recall on the dolls in 1997.

Make Sure Your Child Isn’t Playing with Recalled Toys

Wondering if any of your child’s seemingly innocuous toys pose a potential danger? Unfortunately, product recalls aren’t always as widely promoted as they should be, so you may have to be proactive to determine if any of your child’s toys have been recalled. You can search for the product by checking the Consumer Product Safety Commission website or by using the Toy Recall Finder on Parents.com. If you discover that a toy has been recalled, get rid of it or return it to the company as soon as possible.

If your child is injured by a product that has either been recalled or should be recalled, seek medical attention and contact a personal injury attorney. Although it can be hard to think about taking legal action after your child has been harmed, filing a lawsuit against a negligent manufacturer may be the most effective way to ensure that your family receives compensation—and that the product is pulled from shelves before it can harm anyone else.

How to Prove Fault as a Motorcyclist in an Accident

August 25, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Motorcycle Accidents

It’s no secret that motorcyclists typically suffer far more serious injuries than car occupants when they’re involved in a multi-vehicle collision. Without safety features like air bags and a crumple zone, motorcyclists are incredibly vulnerable and may face an expensive and lengthy recovery if they survive the accident. Because of this, any motorcyclist who was injured by a negligent driver should hold that driver responsible and seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other associated costs.

Of course, getting that much-needed compensation isn’t as easy as just pointing a finger at the car driver and saying that they were the one who caused the accident. In a civil case, the plaintiff is responsible for proving that the defendant is at fault. To make things even more challenging, jury members may be biased against motorcyclists and may be less likely to award the same kind of settlement that they would award to a car driver in a two-car accident.

This does not mean that you should give up on the idea of recovering compensation as a motorcyclist in an auto accident. It does, however, mean that you should work closely with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer to gather the kind of concrete evidence necessary to prove your case. Below are a few types of evidence that can help your cause.

Police Report

If a police officer arrived at the scene of your accident, he or she most likely filled out an accident report. This report may contain valuable evidence for your case, especially if the police officer actually witnessed the accident and issued a citation to the driver. Even if they didn’t cite the driver, they may have noted that negligent behavior caused the accident and that you were injured and needed medical attention after the accident.

Witness Testimony

Witness testimony can be problematic because human memory is fallible, and there’s no way to know that an accident played out exactly the way an eyewitness described it. However, if your motorcycle accident occurred in a crowded area and multiple people saw it happen, it may be worth having credible witnesses testify that the car driver was at fault. The most reliable witnesses are people who saw the entire accident (rather than people who heard the impact and saw the aftermath) and were not distracted by other factors (such as a young child that they were holding or the need to maneuver their own vehicle away from the accident).

Damage to Motorcycle

In certain cases, the type of damage that your motorcycle incurs may clearly show how the driver hit you and prove that they are at fault. For example, if a car rear-ended you, the back of your motorcycle and the front of the car would experience the most damage. This would paint a pretty clear picture of what happened and show that the driver was liable, since rear-end collisions are almost always the fault of the second vehicle.

Your personal injury lawyer may be able to uncover additional types of evidence that could prove fault, such as footage from a traffic camera or a doctor’s testimony showing that your injury was caused by a certain type of impact. Every case is unique, and it’s important not to leave any stone unturned when the compensation that you need in order to get back on your feet is at stake.

About the Author:

New Seat Belt Tech Could Curb Drowsy Driving Accidents

August 18, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Auto Accidents

From automatic braking systems to electronic stability control, automobile technology continues to evolve to better protect drivers and vehicle occupants. Now, one new innovation may help prevent people from driving while drowsy—something that is a well-documented risk factor in serious and sometimes fatal crashes.

Harken, a publicly and privately funded European consortium, recently announced in a press release that they have developed a seat belt sensor designed to help wake drivers up if they begin falling asleep at the wheel. The sensor system was made by weaving fibers and yarns with electrical properties into the shoulder belt and seat pad of a car. When a driver is sitting in the seat and wearing their seat belt, the sensors will measure their heart rate and breathing rate. Because both respiration and heart rate slow down when a person is asleep or about to fall asleep, the sensors will be able to identify when a driver is at risk for falling asleep and needs to pull over.

Boca Raton Child Injury & Accident Lawyer

Hot Car Deaths Are Preventable

August 11, 2014

by South Florida Injury Law Firm Children Injuries & Accidents

As we reach the hottest part of the summer, it’s essential that parents avoid leaving their children alone in the car, even for just a short while. Children are even more susceptible to heat stroke than adults, and it’s never okay for a child to be left inside a vehicle on a hot day.

The issue of leaving children unattended in vehicles has gained more attention this summer after the horrifying case of Cooper Harris, a 22-month old boy who died after his father allegedly forgot he was in the car on the way to work. Police are still investigating the circumstances of the boy’s death, and the father is currently facing murder and child cruelty charges.

Whether Harris’ death was intentional or truly an accident, it is far from being the only case of a child perishing in an overheated vehicle. An average of 38 children have died in a hot car every year since 1998, and almost a third of those children snuck into the car without their caregiver knowing, while about half became trapped in the car because their caregiver forgot they were there.

There is no good excuse for a child dying in a hot car, and all parents and caregivers should take safety precautions to make sure their child is not accidentally trapped in a car this summer.

Safety Tips to Help Prevent Hot Car Deaths

Make a habit of keeping your car doors locked and keeping keys out of reach at home. When you’re parked at home, lock your doors and hide your keys somewhere that your child cannot get to them and use them to sneak into the vehicle.

Teach your child that the car is not an appropriate play area. Talk to your kids about what is and what isn’t an appropriate place for play. Let them know that it’s never okay to hide in the car.

Always check the entire vehicle before leaving. While it might seem unlikely to you that your child could have quietly snuck into the car before you drove away, you should make a habit of checking the whole car before you park and leave for an extended period.

Remind yourself when a child is in the car. If dropping your child off is not a normal part of your routine, find a way to remind yourself that the child is in your car, such as putting a Post-It note on the dashboard or placing an item that you’ll need for the day, such as a purse or briefcase, in the back seat.

Remember that cracking the windows or parking in shade is not a safety measure. A child’s body temperature can increase three to five times faster than an adult’s, and heat stroke deaths have occurred even when the car was parked out of the sun and had the windows cracked. Heat stroke can also occur in temperatures as low as 57 degrees, so it’s not safe to leave your child in the car even on a cooler day.

Get help if you see a child left alone in a car. If you spot an unattended child in a parked car, call 911 immediately. If the child is in distress, get them out as soon as possible. They will need to be cooled using cold water but should not be placed in extremely cold temperatures, such as an ice bath.

This summer, let’s all work together to prevent more hot car deaths. This type of accident is entirely avoidable if we take some basic safety precautions and seek help whenever we see a child left alone in a car.

About the Author:

Jeffrey Braxton is a trial lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who has devoted his 22-year career to the practice of personal injury law. As lead trial attorney for The South Florida Injury Law Firm, Jeff has litigated thousands of cases and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an exclusive group of attorneys who have resolved cases in excess of one million dollars.

Why Frustration Is Dangerous—and What You Can Do About It

Neglect

Physical or Sexual Abuse

Psychological Abuse

Financial Exploitation

Know When to Call Your Doctor

Slick Surfaces

Uneven Roads

Loose Gravel

Animals

Debris

Keeping the Roads Safe

Features to Help Keep Your Pool Safe

Pool Safety Is Worth the Investment

4 Common Examples of Negligent Security

Make Sure Your Child Isn’t Playing with Recalled Toys

Police Report

Witness Testimony

Damage to Motorcycle

Safety Tips to Help Prevent Hot Car Deaths

THE SOUTH FLORIDA INJURY LAW FIRM

Get A Free Case Review

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney Now (954) 488-JEFF No Fees Unless We Win

Available 24/7 | Home & Hospital Visits | Se Habla Español

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney Now
(954) 488-JEFF
No Fees Unless We Win