Drownings present horrific tragedies that are all too common for families across the United States. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 3,960 fatal unintentional drownings each year in the United States. That is an average of eleven (11) drownings per day.
Drowning is a leading cause of death for children. More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death except birth defects. For children ages 1-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes. Most drownings in children between the ages of 1-4 happen in swimming pools. Nearly eighty percent of people who die from drowning are male.
Factors making drowning more likely may include: (1) not being able to swim; (2) missing or ineffective fences around water; (3) lack of close supervision; (4) use of alcohol, drugs, and/or prescription medications; and (5) not wearing a life jacket.
For every child who dies from drowning, another eight receive emergency department care for non-fatal drowning. More than 40% of drownings treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care
Cases involving drownings often involve an area of the law called premises liability whereby fault is determined when an injury or death is caused by a condition or feature of a property. For example, any property that maintains a pool or other swimming area should make efforts to keep it as safe as possible and stop young children from entering without supervision.
If you or someone you love has suffered a drowning injury, call the experienced lawyers at Houston law firm Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner at 713-222-7211 or toll-free at 1-800-594-4884 for a personal injury consultation.