Nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. will visit an emergency room this year after being involved in a swimming pool accident. Close to 1,000 others will suffer fatal injuries due to accidents at or in pools.
While these accidents can impact swimmers of any age, safety officials at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) report that:
- About 75 percent of those injured will be younger than 20 years old, with about 30 percent being between ages 10 and 14.
- Every day, about 10 people will drown in swimming pools. At least two of these drownings will involve a child younger than 15.
- Nearly two times as many boys will suffer swimming pool injuries (than girls).
Given that now is the season for swimming, here are some essential facts to know about swimming pool accidents:
- The area & equipment surrounding a pool can be just as dangerous as the pool itself – Diving boards, electrical equipment around pools and wet, slippery ground surfaces can all present major hazards around pools.
- Swimming pool slides can also be risky – This is particularly true when slides drop off into shallow areas and/or when people go down slides head first. In fact, sliding down head first into shallow areas of pools commonly results in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or spinal cord injuries, either of which can have long-term (if not permanent) impacts.
- Drownings involving children younger than 4 tend to occur at home pools – Lack of supervision and lack of pool enclosures are the two main causes of these fatalities. In contrast, drownings involving children ages 5 to 15 most commonly occur in natural bodies of water, like lakes and rivers.
5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Swimming Pool Accidents
To minimize the risk of pool accidents involving children, here’s what you can do:
- Teach children to float and/or swim ASAP – If children are too young or lack swimming skills, make sure you outfit them with the proper safety gear, like a life jacket or water wings.
- Always supervise children at or around pools – Never permit children to be unattended at a pool, regardless of whether they know how to swim.
- Make sure pools are properly secured – Pools should be enclosed by a fence with a locking gate so that children are not able to access the pool without the help of an adult.
- Don’t let kids horse around by pools – Make sure children understand that they are not allowed to run by the pool, push others into the pool or otherwise horse around.
- Know CPR – This can be essential if an accident does happen.
Find Out More about Your Potential Claim: Contact a Middlesex County Personal Injury Lawyer at Mayo Law, P.A
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a swimming pool accident – or in any type of accident on someone else’s property, contact a Middlesex County personal injury lawyer at Mayo Law, P.A. for more information about your possible claim and recovery options.
Call (732) 613-3100 or (888) MAYO-LAW. You can also email our firm via the form on our Contact Page. Initial consultations are free, and we do not charge any legal fees until or unless compensation is secured.
From offices based in Middlesex County, our attorneys provide the highest quality legal services to people through New Jersey, as well as nationwide.
