Swimming Pool Injuries and Liability

With summer just around the corner, many Los Angelenos will begin heading to swimming pools to avoid the summer heat. While intended for good fun and a nice cool down, pools can often be sources of child danger.  In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, about ten people die from unintentional drowning every day throughout the US, with 20% of these deaths children aged 14 or younger.

Did your child drown or almost drown in a public swimming pool?

A child’s drowning or swimming pool injury is often a result of another’s negligence and may have been avoided. Officials say that adult supervision is key to preventing child drowning deaths. It is important that adults are within arms reach of the child as drowning often happens very silently and within a matter of seconds. In other words, do not expect to hear screaming or splashing before a drowning. All it takes is 2 inches of water to cover a child’s mouth and nose.

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Continue reading for some frightening statistics about drowning:

• Drowning ranks 5th among the leading causes of unintentional
  injury death in the United States.
• Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male.
• Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates and most of
  these drowning occur in home swimming pools.
• Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children 1-4 than
  any other cause except birth defects.
• Among children 1-14, fatal drowning remains the second-leading
  cause of unintentional injury-related death (behind motor vehicle crashes).

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When swimming pool accidents are the result of a third party’s negligence, you, the parent, may be able to recover financially on behalf of your child for the injuries (serious or fatal); they suffered on the pool premises. A public pool, for example, must take proper safety precautions for protecting children against drowning.

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These steps might include:

• Fencing at least 5 feet high equipped with self-closing,
  self-latching gates.
• Adult supervision.
• Rescue equipment within close proximity to the pool.
• Removal of toys from in and around the pool when it is not in use.

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This list is non-exhaustive. Contact a premises liability lawyer to learn more about the specific safety regulations in Los Angeles.  If your child has been injured or died in a swimming pool accident, reach out to a skilled trial attorney who can handle your potential case. Again, you might be able to recover financial damages for your child’s injures, both physical and emotional.  

For more information on swimming pool liability and your legal rights, contact the experienced injury attorneys at Ghozland Law Firm today.