According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, 9.2 million children a year are taken to the emergency room for unintentional injuries. In addition, the CDC reports that, on average, 12,175 children under 19 years of age die each year from an unintentional injury.
How many of these injuries and deaths occurred because of an adult’s neglect? There is no excuse for an adult’s negligence leading to a child’s injury or death. As adults, it is up to us to provide children with environments free of harm. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Locally, a Lauderhill man is facing a charge of child neglect following the death of his young son in a house fire, according to CBS 4. The fire happened on June 23. The man was at home alone with his two sons, ages 8 and 9, while their mother was at work.
The children’s mother had car trouble and called their father, who proceeded to leave his sons alone—possibly for hours—to go help their mother with her car. While the man was gone, the house caught on fire. According to reports, police have not yet determined what caused the fire, but a lit candle in the boys’ bedroom appears to be to blame.
At the time the fire started, the children were asleep, but the younger boy was able to wake up in time to alert his brother. The older boy jumped out of the window to escape the blaze, but his brother was too scared to do the same and died as a result.
A judge placed the surviving boy in the custody of a family friend following the incident and has ordered grief counseling for the child. His mother has been allowed supervised visits with him, but may have to take parenting classes and cooperate with the court to regain permanent custody of the boy.
What Are My Legal Rights After Wrongfully Losing a Loved One?
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Colson Hicks Eidson – Injury Attorneys
