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"Children being left in vehicles continues to be an issue. We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. believe that it is important for us to address this issue frequently in order to save families from the distress of injury or death of a child left in a vehicle," said Attorney Randall Spivey.

Even with the best of intentions, children can easily be left in the car. Country music star, Carrie Underwood, tweeted about a scary incident that happened to her and her four-month-old son, Isaiah, the weekend of July 11, 2015. Ms. Underwood's dogs locked themselves and her son in her car. The singer said her brother-in-law had to break a window to rescue her baby and dogs. 

Every summer, we hear of incidents of trauma and even death involving small children and cars. Sometimes the situation is similar to Ms. Underwood's; scary for a moment, but quickly noticed by an adult who can take action.  Sometimes children are locked in cars. Sometimes they simply climb in and cannot get the door open again. Other times, the parent forgets the child is even there.

The effect of high temperatures on vehicles is a dangerous threat to young children and pets left behind in cars, especially during the summer.

From 1998-2014, 636 children across the nation died due to heatstroke after being left in vehicles. Such deaths are the leading cause of non-crash related fatalities for children 14 and younger. Just as tragic, over half (53 percent) of the child heatstroke deaths were because the child was forgotten in the vehicle by a distracted parent or caregiver according to Safercar.gov.

What are the risks?

USA Today reported in August 2014 the following:

• Cars heat up quickly. A vehicle can heat up 20 degrees in 10 minutes.
• Cracking the windows or not parking in direct sunlight does not make a car significantly cooler. Heat stroke deaths have occurred even when the vehicle was parked in the shade.
• A car can reach 110 degrees when temperatures are only in the 60s. Heat stroke can take place when the outside temperature is as low as 57 degrees.
• The body temperatures of children can increase three to five times faster than adults. Heat stroke begins when the body passes 105 degrees. Reaching an internal temperature of 107 degrees can be fatal.

What to do?

Here is some advice from experts according to WOTV4 Women (Michigan TV station) on what to do if you find yourself on the outside looking in at a child or pet trapped inside a vehicle.

1. Stay Calm.   You know when kids get upset they get even hotter.  So seeing you panic may cause your child to cry, and struggle in the car seat and raise his/her body temperature even more. Sing silly songs, talk calmly to them and do whatever it takes to keep them settled until help arrives.
2. Note the time and Call 9-1-1.  This is important so you know exactly how long the child has been inside when help arrives.  Do not waste a precious second trying to get them out yourself. Call for help and then do what you can to free them until help arrives.
3. Break the window if needed, but be careful which window you choose so you do not injure the child/pet inside.
4. Cover the windows.   If someone is nearby to help, see if they have a blanket, tarp or coats to cover the windows. This will help keep the car cool until help arrives.

Amber Rollins, Director of the not-for-profit child safety organization, Kids and Cars says, “Always break the window that is furthest away from the child. Kids and Cars offers a Resqme car escape tool that parents can keep on hand for just this occasion. This tool easily shatters a window when a child needs saving. But you can use any blunt object to break the window,” Rollins explains. “The bottom left corner is the weak spot, rather than trying to break it in the middle. Parents who are scared to try to break a window themselves can call 911 or Pop-a-Lock, a national locksmith that will unlock your car for free if a child is locked alone inside," Rollins says.

Is leaving a child unattended in a car a crime?

In Florida (Statute 316.6135), it is a second degree misdemeanor to leave a child younger than age 6 in an unattended car for a period in excess of 15 minutes.

For more information go to Children Left In Vehicles - A Recipe for Disaster.

Fort Myers Child Injuries Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.