DIVING ACCIDENTS DROWNING
According to the Texas Drowning Prevention Alliance, drowning accidents are the 2nd leading cause of death in children under the age of 14. Every year many children, as well as adults, die or are seriously injured in or near water from diving accidents, drowning and in other swimming pool accidents. More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared to hospitalization rate of 6% for unintentional injuries). Nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage, paralysis and other long-term disabilities.
Drowning injuries often involve small children who are not watched closely enough by lifeguards etc.
Complete Brain Damage can occur after 4 minutes without oxygen. If you have small children, do not leave them unsupervised and teach them to swim. Do not leave doors and windows with access to pool areas open and alarm them. A moment of inattention can lead to death. A child can drown in an inch of water.
Texas homeowners who have private residential swimming pools must construct a minimum 4-foot-high barrier around the pool. Pool gates must self-close and self-latch, and be capable of being locked by a padlock, a combination lock, a built-in keypad or a key card. Latches should be situated in the upper one-quarter of the gate on the inside to prevent children from opening the barrier easily.
The wall of the house that serves as a boundary, an alarm must be installed on the doors and windows that open onto the pool area. The alarm should sound whenever anyone enters the pool. Texas law requires you to install the alarm operation bypass feature high enough on the wall that it cannot be reached by children. If you have an above-ground pool, the steps or ladders must be capable of being locked, secured or removed when the pool is not in use.
If you or your family has experienced a diving accident or drowning injuries, contact The Sheller Law Firm to see if there was negligence involved that deserves compensation.