With summer fast approaching and thousands of children and families cooling off in swimming pools across the country, it is important for Atlanta pool owners to understand their risks of premises liability when a drowning occurs on their premises.
Most drownings involving children occur in swimming pools. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children between the age of 1 and 4 are more likely to die from drowning than any other factor. For children between the age of 5 and 14, drowning is the second most likely cause of unintentional death, after auto accidents. Every year, there are 4,000 fatal drowning accidents recorded in the United States, and as many as double that number of non -fatal drowning accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia has a drowning death rate that is approximately 1.37 for every 100,000 population.
Most of these accidents occur in residential and commercial swimming pools. Even if a drowning does not result in death, it can result in severe or even catastrophic personal injury. The loss of oxygen supply to the brain can result in brain damage and other consequences that can contribute to long- term or lifelong disability of a child or adult. Close to half of all drowning accidents that do not result in a death will result in hospitalization of the victim. A drowning is much more likely to result in death or long term injury compared to other unintentional injuries.
For all of these reasons, it is very important for swimming pool owners in Atlanta to exercise the caution and care, to the extent possible, during the summer months when pool drowning deaths actually increase.
Many child drowning accidents every year occur when children fall into an unsecured pool. Secure your pool by using a self -locking fence or gate around the pool. Pool covers can also be an effective way of preventing falls. Alarms that alert homeowners to children who have wandered out of the house and to the pool area can also help. Of course, parents should keep a close watch on their children and make sure they do not wonder close to a pool without adult supervision.
Invest in swimming lessons for children. Experts believe that any children above the age of 1 can be taught swimming.
If there are people around the pool, make sure that one or two people are designated as watchers to look out for children in the pool. Many pool accidents happen when there are many adults around, because people generally assume that others are looking out for the children. Adults also generally tend to over – estimate how much time it takes for a child to drown, even in a restricted area like a pool. A child can drown in less than 1 minute after he enters the pool.
The Atlanta personal injury attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in an accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in an accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.