By Ryan E. Alekman, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Massachusetts and other States, parents leave children unattended in a vehicle while running or doing an errand every day. In Fall River, Massachusetts, a father (Michael Monahan) was reported by Fall River Police for leaving his children unattended for a few minutes in a trunk of a vehicle. See Fall River – Massachusetts Father Leaves Children in Trunk While Running an Errand. While it did not appear that the children were physically harmed, leaving children in a trunk of a vehicle to run some errands is not a sensible way to supervise children. In some instances, a child can be harmed by being placed in a trunk of a vehicle. This is especially true when there is extreme cold or hot temperature. If the father forgot about the children and drove off, the children would not be properly restrained for transportation in the trunk of a vehicle.
There have been numerous incidents involving children who suffered personal injuries or death when they were left unattended or unsupervised in a vehicle. Parents should bring their children with them when running errands. Do not leave children unattended in a vehicle.