Spending time at the pool is a great way to relax and escape the heat of summer. However, swimming pool accidents can lead to severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, disembowelment, lacerations, and other trauma. Drowning is also a serious risk. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children under 14 years of age. There are around 3,500 drowning accidents each year in the United States.
In order to increase your safety at the pool, you need to:
- Monitor your children. Adequate supervision is key to preventing serious injuries at the pool. For children between the ages of 1 and 4, an adult should always be within arm’s reach in the water. Supervision can help prevent entrapment injuries and drowning, and can help keep children safe.
- Never trust pool toys for safety. It is important to remember that pool toys are not safety devices. Floating mattresses, inner tubes, pool noodles, and other toys are not designed to keep your kids safe, and your child could slip off and fall into the water. You should always monitor your children and use life jackets when necessary.
- Teach your kids how to swim. Formal swimming lessons can increase the safety of your children. They will learn basic skills like treading water and dog paddling, which will help them be more comfortable in the water. By providing your kids with swimming lessons, you can help them stay safe and avoid a drowning accident at the pool.
- Practice common sense. Walking around the pool area, diving only in designated areas, and swimming where there is a lifeguard stationed can help you avoid a serious accident. Running around the pool increases the risk of slipping and falling, and diving in shallow water could lead to severe head and neck trauma. It is also important to use the buddy system, and to never go swimming without someone else present.
Injured in a Swimming Pool Accident? Call Goeing Goeing & McQuinn PLLC Today at (859) 253-0088 for Compassionate Representation.
At Goeing Goeing & McQuinn PLLC, we provide diligent representation to injured clients. If you or a loved one have been injured in a swimming pool accident, you have the right to file a claim to seek compensation. Medical bills can quickly pile up, and it is important to hold negligent pool owners responsible. Our Lexington personal injury attorneys will work hard to build your case and uphold your right to a settlement.
Contact our office today to get started. We offer free consultations for your convenience.