In a recent study conducted by SC Budget and Control Board, found that South Carolina is ranked 42nd out 50 for Child Safety . Essentially, there are only 8 states below SC that have a higher death rate for children within the infant/toddler range of 0-4.
Pursuant to the report, South Carolina’s four leading causes of death for children ages 0-4, were the following, in their respective order: automobile accidents, suffocation/strangulation, drownings, and lastly, fire/smoke.
Although car accidents still remain the number one, unintentional cause of death to children within the aforementioned age range, these numbers have been on the decline since 2003. The report attributes this decrease to stricter laws governing safety belts/seats for children, as well as public awareness about child safety.
There were 18 deaths reported due to suffocation/strangulation. Of these, 9 of the accidents were due to “roll over or overlay,” which is what occurs when the child is sleeping with the adult, and the adult rolls over onto the child during the night’s rest. The other half of were due to strangulation, a heinous crime to commit intentionally upon anyone, especially a child.
When there is an unintentional drowning, it is common for the accident to occur in a pond or creek outside the parents’ home. The number one issue with this topic is that parents often times believe that their children are safe if they have a life vest on, and neglect to exercise adult supervision. It is important to remember that a life vest or older child is never a sufficient replacement for adult supervision, especially when a young child is near the water’s edge.
Lastly, fire and smoke is the fourth leading cause of unintentional deaths in SC. For the past 10 years, about 10 children a year die due to fire, or the smoke that arose thereafter. Public awareness of this type of emergency situation should contribute to the decline of these residential type accidents.
South Carolina Attorneys: Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP
If you or a loved one have been injured or killed in any type of accident, you need an experienced accident attorney like those at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower. Call us at 877-374-5999, or use this form, to speak with an attorney who can help you evaluate your claim and get you the best possible recovery.