In the hot summer months, swimming pools are a popular place for families and friends to hang out and keep cool. If you happen to have a swimming pool in your backyard, your neighbor’s back yard, or in the apartment complex where you live, you need to be aware of the serious risks and dangers that swimming pools pose for small children.

According to the Center for Disease Control, there are between 3,500 – 3,600 fatal drowning cases every year in the United States. That’s a shocking average of 10 deaths every day. Most often, the victims are males. Statistically speaking, males are four times more likely than females to die from accidental drowning.

The dangers associated with swimming pools are far more serious than you may think. This silent killer stalks the nation and has become the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years. Of the ten deaths a day, roughly 30% of them involved youngsters between the ages of one to four years old. And for every death due to drowning, four other children receive emergency treatment for non-fatal submersion injuries.

In many instances when a child survives non-fatal drowning injuries, many (roughly 5%-20%) sustain irreversible brain damage. The cost of medical care for a brain injury involving temporary or permanent learning disabilities and memory problems can bankrupt a family.

Surely you’d think you would hear a child that had fallen into the water calling for help, or hear the sound of frantic splashing. Sadly, the reason swimming pool fatalities are referred to as death by a silent killer is because there are usually no sounds, either splashing or crying. In fact, roughly 70% of the little ones, who drown in home swimming pools, go under while their parents are in the vicinity and they didn’t even know there was a problem. Did you know that a youngster may drown in the period of time it takes to answer the phone?

In many instances, the absence of barriers and poor supervision around swimming pools are two of the major causes of a child drowning. Inadequate barriers and other pool necessities such as safety gear are often to blame when a child drowns. There are a number of ways to implement some basic pool safety precautions, including having a trained professional install and regularly check the fences and gates around a pool.
For parents of children who live near a swimming pool, have your child take swimming lessons, talk to them about the dangers of swimming pools, and maintain vigilant supervision by knowing exactly where your children are playing.

Families who have lost a child in a swimming pool drowning accident are often ill-equipped to deal with the devastating loss. Parents almost always blame themselves. The stress of dealing with such a tragedy can often lead to divorce. That’s why I always encourage my clients to seek professional counseling. Several of my clients have told me before that counseling saved their marriage after the loss of their child.

If you have lost a child or family member in a pool drowning, you should contact us immediately. Having an investigation conducted by a qualified expert as soon as possible after a drowning occurs is the best way to determine what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again. You may have the right to be compensated for damages, such as medical bills, funeral costs, and pain and suffering, among other things. Speak to us about your case. We know the value of loyalty, honesty, and honor, something our clients deeply appreciate.