Drowning Accidents

Drowning is one of the most common causes of death for people under the age of 16. In fact, every year there are anywhere between 4,000 and 6,500 emergency room visits because of drowning-related accidents, of which most are caused by failure to follow safety precautions or the lack of proper supervision.

Even near-drowning can have serious long term repercussions. In fact, for every one child that drowns another four will suffer injury from the effects of lack of oxygen or other similar cause. The speculated cost for caring for a survivor of a near drowning incident can exceed $100,000 a year.

Swimming Pool Accidents

Swimming pool accidents account for most of the serious injuries among children. Slick surfaces, lack of proper supervision, and improperly built pool equipment cause almost 3,400 people to suffer debilitating injury each year. These injuries are usually easily preventable if the owners and operators of the pool facilities ensure that their property is safe and free from hazards.

Less than fatal swimming pool accidents can cause serious long term consequences as well. Diving into shallow water, slips and falls, and reactions to bacteria or the chemicals in the pool water are responsible for many injuries. It is the responsibility of the pool owner to ensure that these hazards are not present or at least kept to a minimum.

Swimming Pool Drownings

Drowning in swimming pools is one of the leading causes of death for people under the age of 14. In fact, more people of all ages die in swimming pool related drownings than any other type of water activity. The true tragedy of these deaths is that a great deal of them could have been prevented if only pool owners and operators followed standard safety precautions.

A large number of these deaths occur when small children access pools in residential areas. The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 300 children drown in residential pools each year, with another 2,300 under five years must be hospitalized due to near-drowning.

Improper Supervision

Pools are fun but they can also be extremely dangerous. For children who do not appreciate all the risks swimming can entail they become even more so. In fact, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that 69% of the children involved in pool drowning accidents were not expected to be anywhere near the pool. This lack of supervision directly contributes to the deaths of hundreds of children each year.

The most common places for children to drown are the pools of residential areas or the backyards of so many suburban homes. 1,150 children drown each year, and 65% of these incidents occur in home or apartment pools. Easy access to unsupervised water is among the leading causes of death in children under the age of five in 18 states, and unfortunately that number is on the rise.

Lack of Lifeguard

The lack of a lifeguard is one of the leading causes of all drownings in the United States. Lifeguards must maintain constant vigilance while they are on the job because they cannot afford to become distracted from their duties. Unfortunately a large number of incidents of water-related injuries could have been prevented if only a lifeguard was present and attentive.

Although many States mandate that there must be a lifeguard present at public pools, smaller pools such as the ones in residential or apartment communities do not need these important figures. It is the imperative that the owner or operator maintains proper safety measures because without a lifeguard on duty accidents can happen at any time without warning.

Child Drownings

Drowning is unfortunately the second most common causes of death for all children in the United States under the age of 14. Children drown due to a variety of conditions, but mostly because they have easy access to unsupervised pool areas. 1,150 children die in drowning accidents, and another 5,000 children suffer permanent injury due to drowning-related accidents.

If you live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington your child is more likely to drown than any other cause of death. A large proportion of these deaths could have been prevented if only adequate supervision and safety precautions had been in place. Children 1-4 make up the largest group of young people most likely to drown.

If you or someone you know suffered injury due to a drowning accident you need to act quickly. The law limits the amount of time you have to take action, and every day you hesitate is one day you have to needlessly suffer. Let dedicated and experienced legal professionals guide you through this difficult time. Contact someone today.

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