Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
One of the most heart-breaking life events for any parent is the loss of a child. With all the years of nurturing, guidance and love that mothers and fathers put into their kids, parents the whole world ‘round only want the best for their children. It is no overstatement that most any parent would rather something bad happen to themselves than to their young ones, even as those kids get older. And isn’t it true that all we would want for our own son or daughter is a long and happy life? This is only natural.
Unfortunately, life itself can be cruel and the world is often a cold and threatening place even for adults at times. But the one thing any parent shudders to thing about is their child being hurt or killed in a tragic accident. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my skilled legal staff know that there are no guarantees in life. But this is little consolation to a mother or father who has lost a child due to the negligence of another person.
Car, truck and motorcycle accidents can take the life of a child as much as they can an adult. The difference is only in the kind of sadness that follows an untimely death; the lost potential of a life yet to be lived can fill a family with a grief too heartrending for any words.
It is true that children are some of the most precious assets in any society. These youngsters are the actual embodiment of the hopes and dreams of the parents as they slowly make their way to adulthood and their own lives. But to lose a child before he or she has a chance to experience life is nothing short of devastating for any parent; for any family or community.
Once they are school-aged, it is next to impossible for parents to be by their children’s side every minute of the day. Placing our trust in those responsible for our kids’ well-being outside of the home is difficult, but necessary. Unfortunately, the thoughtless actions, careless negligence or outright recklessness of other individuals can dramatically affect the lives of our children; in extreme case, it can even cut short a young child’s life. When this happens, parents should understand the legal options available to them.
We read a distressing story in the news lately. A six-year-old boy walking to school with his brother in New York City was hit and killed by an 18-wheeler while the local crossing guard was allegedly off on a break. Now children can be hurt or killed in any number of scenarios, such as from a swimming pool accident, a defective toy or electrical appliance, even a prescription drug error or a medical-related error, but when a child dies because of a caretaker’s lack of vigilance, this can be a parent’s worst nightmare.
According to the news article, the fatal accident took place on a Thursday morning as the boy was crossing First Ave. with his nine-year-old brother a little before 8am in the morning. Based on police reports, at the time of the fatal collision a 55-year-old crossing guard assigned to that area was allegedly on a personal break. The boys were in a marked crosswalk when the deadly traffic accident happened just one block from the children’s school. According to reports, the victim’s older brother was not seriously injured.
Following the fatal crash, police cited the trucker for failure to yield and for not exercising due care. The crossing guard, who is a civilian employee of the police department, was suspended from her job until an investigation could be completed. Apparently, she was allowed to take a break, though police said that it was not logged in her notebook. The woman had worked at that particular intersection for the last 10 years.
6-Year-Old Boy Hit, Killed in Street While Crossing Guard on Break: Source; NBCNewYork.com; March 1, 2013