The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and Department of Public Health want to remind you that summertime carries special dangers for children. In a press release, they highlight three areas: windows, water, and cars.
In the summertime, we open our windows up, and children fall from open windows, sometimes to their death. A window screen creates a visual barrier that makes us feel like the window is safe, but a window screen is not strong enough to keep a child, even a toddler or a crawling baby from falling out. There are window guards you or your landlord can install, or you can open windows from the top, not the bottom.
Drowning is a leading cause of death for children in Massachusetts and nationwide. Kids can drown in shallow water as well as deep, in bathtubs, swimming pools, lakes and ponds, or the ocean. You must have your eye on small children in or near the water at all times, and even larger children should be supervised. If you have a swimming pool on your property, make sure there is a fence at least four feet high around it, with self-latching gates that are above the reach of children.
Cars are always dangerous, and you should always make sure children are not around moving vehicles or left unsupervised in cars that are running or have the keys in them. But summertime poses a special risk: overheated vehicles. Children should never be left alone in a car in the summertime. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that a car with the windows down 2″ in 80 degree weather can reach deadly heat levels in ten minutes.
We hope these tips will help you to do what you can to protect your children from harm. At KJC Law Firm, we are dedicated to making your life safer. By holding landlords, property owners, drivers or manufacturers responsible for the injuries they cause, we give them good reasons to act more responsibly and safely. And if you or your children are injured, we will help you to get proper compensation.
The Boston accident and injury lawyers at KJC Law Firm, including Kathy Jo Cook and Timothy Wilton, have more than 90 years of experience litigating serious personal injury cases. KJC Law Firm handles cases for clients all across the state of Massachusetts.
