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How Could a Child Be Left in a Scorching Hot Van in Texas?
How Could a Child Be Left in a Scorching Hot Van in Texas?In late summer 2021, a young child was transported by an after-school program's van from their school to a gym where the program was held. Unfortunately, the employees failed to properly check the van to ensure all children had exited. As a result, the child, who had fallen asleep, was left alone in the vehicle on a sweltering afternoon in Texas, with temperatures reaching 96 degrees.
When the child eventually woke up, they found themselves alone and terrified. In a state of panic, they managed to crawl through the passenger window and escape. Remarkably, no one realized the child was missing until they walked into the facility, having already freed themselves from the van.
Following the incident, our Texas child negligence lawyer explains, the child was taken to a clinic complaining of headaches and dehydration. The doctors diagnosed them with suffering from a heat stroke as a result of being left in a hot and unventilated van.
What Happened to the Child After Being a Victim of Negligence in Dallas?
In addition to suffering from a heat stroke, the child also developed increased anxiety and struggled with feelings of abandonment. During this time, they would have nightmares of being separated from their family on trips and dreams of their cousins being locked in hot cars with no way of helping them out. Unfortunately, in these cases, the anguish that this child has suffered will not diminish quickly – they will continue to suffer from anxiety and other distress in the future.
Additionally, it’s important to note that if the child did not wake up on time and stayed alone for just a few more minutes in this vehicle, the outcome could have been catastrophic or potentially fatal. It was just lucky that the child was able to escape and save themselves from a catastrophic injury.
How Could This Situation Have Been Prevented?
Childcare facilities, including after-school programs like this one, are required to follow the state’s laws on the minimum requirements they must follow to obtain and maintain their licensing. In this case, the childcare providers failed to uphold the standards in place to prevent an incident like this, a child being left alone in a van during a hot summer day, from happening.
These kinds of incidents are 100% preventable. For example, this facility failed to check each row of the van for left-behind children.
How Did Our Dallas Child Negligence Attorney Help?
In order to secure justice for this child and their family, our team at The Button Law Firm worked hard to ensure the after-school program was being held accountable for its irresponsible practices. Our team ensured that the after-school program would pay the family back for the medical expenses they in=curred while trying to care for their child who had suffered this traumatic event. Additionally, since many of the damages are not visible things, like anxiety, the daycare needed to provide resources to the family so they would have the tools to help this child get better, whether that is psychologically, emotionally, or physically.
More Helpful Information
For guidance on navigating the aftermath of daycare injuries, explore these articles. They offer valuable insights into understanding legal rights, addressing medical concerns, and ensuring your child's safety and well-being, providing the crucial information you need to effectively handle such situations.
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