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Pool Safety: How To Avoid Drowning Accidents – By A PA & NJ Personal Injury Lawyer

This past Memorial Day weekend was the unofficial start of summer. Many families will open their pools for the first time in the season. For families that do not have pools, they may belong to local pool clubs in Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs and spend a lot of time at the pools over the summer.

Parents of young children are extra cautious when they take their children to the pools. The most obvious concern for parents is a drowning accident. Unintentional drowning remains the leading cause of deaths for children between the ages 1 and 4.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), nearly 400 pool and spa drownings that occur each year involve children younger than 15 years old, with more than 75% of those children younger than 5 years old. *Source: www.cpsc.com

Moreover, the majority of the drownings involving children younger than the age of 15 happen at residences. For drownings involving children under the age of 5, about 85% of the fatalities also happen in residences and homes.

Who is Responsible for Drownings?

When a child accidentally drowns at a public swimming pool or home, does the family of the child have legal rights?

Swim Clubs/Pools

If the swim club was negligent and the negligence caused the child to drown, then the swim club may be held liable for the child’s death. For example, if the life guard at the swimming pool left his post to talk to his friends and therefore, did not see a child struggling in the pool, then the swim club/pool may be liable because of the lifeguard’s negligence, i.e., not performing his job keeping a watch over the people in the pool.

Home Owners

If a child drowns at a friend’s pool because the adults were not watching the children, the home owners may also be held liable for the child’s drowning. When children are in or near a pool, adults must be present. Oftentimes, parents may invite their children’s friends to come over to their swimming pool, and they must make sure the children are supervised at all times.

Other Swimming Pool Accidents

Drownings are not the only type of accident that occurs in or near swimming pools. Other pool accidents and injuries include electrocutions, diving board accidents, etc. To read about these types of swimming pool accidents and what you can do, see Shoddy Electric Work Leads To Electrocutions

If you have a question about a drowning accident or other pool accident, call Daniel J. O’Brien, a personal injury lawyer in PA and NJ, to schedule a FREE consultation. 877.944.8396