Summer has arrived with a vengeance, and with the heat comes the search for relief in the local swimming pool. Unfortunately, the allure of cooling off sometimes leads to serious injuries and deaths in family and neighborhood pools. Our FL personal injury attorneys are once again raising awareness of the drowning dangers of swimming pools, and ask all Florida residents to exercise caution when around them.
Sadly, nearly 400 people drown each year in the United States. Another 5,200 suffer serious injuries from near-drowning accidents. According to the U.S. CPSC or Consumer Product Safety Commission, drowning is the leading cause of injury death among children ages 1 to 4.
The CPSC also recently released new pool hazard statistics:
- Incidents that involved victims below 5 years of age primarily occurred at residential locations.
- From 2009 to 2011, children between the ages of 1 and 3 years old made up 66 percent of estimated injuries, and 67 percent of reported fatalities from 2007 to 2009 among children below 15 years of age.
- From 2007 to 2009, roughly 73 percent of the fatalities that involved children below 15 years of age, and 51 percent of estimated injuries from 2009 to 2011 occurred at a residence.
- Among children below 15 years of age, roughly 58 percent of fatalities occurred at in-ground pools, while 10 percent of reported fatalities occurred in portable pools.
- Most of the reported fatalities from 2007 to 2009 and assessed injuries from 2009 to 2011 were associated with pools.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in the United States, Florida has the highest rates of swimming pool drowning deaths with a rate of 7.5 deaths per 100,000 population. In 2009, according to Florida Department of Health statistics, 485 Florida residents drowned. In addition, 388 were hospitalized for non-fatal drowning injuries. Children ages 1-4 made up 13% of the deaths and 43% of the hospitalizations.
Many of these injuries or accidents could have been prevented. The CDC notes that some of the most effective ways to prevent drowning include erecting appropriate fencing or barriers to prevent children from wandering into a pool. Swimming lessons, close supervision and knowledge of CPR are also vital safety measures.
Our Treasure Coast swimming pool accident attorneys have seen the devastation a drowning accident can have on a family. We urge everyone to do their part to stay safe and to keep others safe around swimming pools.
Contact A Premises Liability Lawyer Today
If you or a family member has been injured in a swimming pool accident, it’s important to consult a knowledgeable South Florida premises liability lawyer. I am attorney Philip DeBerard. I have more than three decades of legal experience helping victims of swimming pool accidents and wrongful deaths in South Florida and the Treasure Coast.
The law firm of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, concentrates on helping accident victims in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Stuart, Okeechobee, Vero Beach and Palm Beach. Call 1-800-299-8878 or fill out our online contact form.
