By J. Rock Palermo, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Sheriff Bobby Guidroz of St Landry Parish, Louisiana has good advice for parents: Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle – not even for a minute. This summer, there have been several deaths in Louisiana and throughout the United States involving children who have been left in hot cars / vans that have caused serious personal injuries and deaths. Some incidents have involved parents and some have involved schools and day care centers. Injuries of this nature (hyperthermia) are completely avoidable with better supervision and due care on the the part of the parent, caregiver, teacher, counselor, and / or bus driver.
Sheriff Guidroz recently pointed out that there were 42 deaths of children left in cars in 2008. Since 1998, there have been over 400 deaths. A majority of these incidents have involved a caregiver. Sheriff Guidroz also points out that hyperthermia (heat stroke) can happen in a matter of minutes since a vehicle can get almost 20 degrees hotter in a short time span. You can read more about Sheriff Guidroz’s advice and the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles at Louisiana Summer Safety Stressed.