Most parents take their roles as guardians and caretakers of their children very seriously, making sure their kids get healthy meals, attend school, and are safe from danger as they go through their days. Yet even the best parents cannot be with a child at every moment, leaving many to seek the help of a family member, friend, or employee to assist with childcare.
Those that are trusted with the responsibility of caring for a child are legally required to do just that, obligating them to keep the child from danger. But unfortunately, too often children are not watched closely enough around swimming pools or other bodies of water, leading to a situation where a child may suffer a serious or even fatal injury while in the care of another or while in another’s home.
Though swimming pool injuries are often thought of, water in even small amounts can be dangerous to children. In fact, a young child can drown in only a couple of inches of water contained in a bucket. Kids are naturally attracted to the water but lack the skills to play safely, putting them at a high risk of drowning regardless of where or how they encounter the water. Injury lawyers see this happening all too often.
This appears to be what happened in Glendale yesterday at a private home near 75th Avenue and Union Hills. Emergency responders learned that a three-year-old boy walked outside of a home and to a pool in the backyard. Reportedly he climbed a small barrier and entered the water.
When others at the home found the boy, he was at the bottom of the pool and unresponsive. Adults started CPR and called paramedics who transported the boy to Phoenix Children’s Hospital where his condition was listed as critical. It is not known how long the boy was underwater before he was found by adults.
Swimming pool injuries can affect people of all ages but children are more likely than adults to remain submerged underwater for extended periods of time or to drown. Unfortunately, Arizona experiences several drowning-related deaths every year, due in part to the large number of private and public pools in the area as well as the large number of young children who use those pools.
If you or your child has been injured in a swimming pool incident, you may have a legal claim for compensation to cover your damages against the responsible party, whether that is a homeowner, a caregiver, or a public entity.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we believe that accident victims deserve legal representation and that they have a right to have someone fight for them. We offer a free case consultation to all victims and we have a lawyer standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call at (602) 819-5191 or toll free at (855) PHX-LAWYER. If your family has been affected by a swimming pool injury, call us today and let us help you.
Prior Blog Entries:
SUV Runs Stop Sign, Hits School Bus, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published November 8, 2013.
Resources:
Glendale child critical after pulled from green pool, by Phil Benson, www.CBS5AZ.com, published November 12, 2013.