Jacksonville Personal Injury Blog

The father of two toddlers pulled them from the family Westside swimming pool Saturday morning, according to a story. Unfortunately it was too late for little two-year-old and her 18-month-old sister.

The family had just moved into the rented home the night before, so the pool area had not yet been secured at the house on Niska Trail near Collins Road. Apparently the two little girls woke up around 8:30 and got out of bed. That’s when officers believe the older girl opened the door to the backyard and went to the pool with her little sister following. The father found the girls at the bottom of the pool about a half hour later. One girl went to Baptist Medical Center and the other to Orange Park Regional Medical Center but neither could be revived.

Our prayers go out to this family who lost two little children. Our deepest sympathies go out to this family for their double tragedy.

Drowning accidents are the leading cause of injuries and wrongful deaths in Florida among children under 5, and are entirely preventable, although in this case, it is easy to understand how a family, their first day in a new home, would not have had time to childproof the house thoroughly.

In Florida in 2006, 72 children drowned in pools, up from 67 children from the year before. Duval County is one of the top counties for child drowning and most occur in a backyard pool or spa.

Continue reading "Jacksonville Drowning of Two Young Sisters in Westside Pool " »

Posted by Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury , Swimming Pool Accidents , Wrongful Death , brain injury

Bookmark:

There are an estimated 300,000 public pools in hotels, schools, camps and parks and thousands of public pools may be in violation of a new federal safety rule, says a national consumer group, putting many children at risk for personal injury in Florida and across the county.

The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) estimates about half of the pools your child is using this summer may have failed to install the new required anti-entrapment devices. Named for Virginia Graeme Baker, who in 2002 died when suction from a hot tub drain kept her pulled to the bottom and she drowned. The NSPF estimates about half of the public pools that are supposed to be retrofitted with the new dome style drains have not been updated.

George Pellington of the Pool Safety Council told CBS in a report that he’s seen the unsafe drain covers in many pools that have not yet complied with the law.

The problem is that a body can actually seal off the covers which then create hundreds of pounds of suction that cannot be broken. The problem has been three-fold because there is not enough enforcement, there are not enough drains, and not enough pool owners understand the new code.

What can parents do?

Parents can look for drain covers that are dome or pyramid shaped. Parents can also inquire if there are new pool drain covers that are recognized by any one of three organizations that conduct testing on drain covers and issue certification. They are: the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF).

Continue reading "Swimming Pools May Be in Violation" »

Posted by Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Law & Information , Personal Injury , Swimming Pool Accidents , Wrongful Death

Bookmark:

A young Jacksonville mother and her child were found drowned this week and there are many unanswered questions.

The 18-year-old mother and her 18-month-old daughter were found just after noon in a subdivision community pool in Arlington, according to an article. The pool area is usually locked. The woman was said to be an accomplished swimmer. An unidentified 18-year-old man was found at the scene and hospitalized. He had reportedly ingested a great deal of chlorinated pool water and appeared in shock and was naked. Investigators will be anxious to talk to him to determine if there was any foul play in this Jacksonville wrongful death accident.

Our condolences go out to the family of this beautiful young mother and her child. It is a tragedy to have to lose two such special people.

Florida leads the nation in the number of drowning accidents of children between the ages of one to four. In 2006, there were 72 drowning deaths of children under the age of four. Duval County is among the counties with the highest number of drowning deaths, according to state statistics.

Some neighbors, who are still in shock, wonder if lightning might have struck nearby. July is the deadliest month for lightning strikes in Florida and we are reminded that lightning strikes can precede a storm. Already this year, two people in Central Florida have been killed by lightning. It happened at a picnic in Lakeland, Florida where the conditions were described as sunny with a slight drizzle.

Continue reading "Jacksonville Drowning of Mother and Child in Community Pool" »

Posted by Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury , Premises Liability , Swimming Pool Accidents , Wrongful Death

Bookmark:

Expect to see many pools and spas close down suddenly across the country. That’s because December 19th is the deadline that mandatory anti-drowning drain covers have to be installed. The improved safety system was passed by Congress last year and pool and spa owners had one year to comply.

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act is aimed at keeping kids safer.

She was the 7-year-old granddaughter of former Secretary of State James A. Baker who was drowned at the bottom of a spa in 2002, held down by the suction of the drain despite the fact that adults were trying to free her.

Her mother, Nancy Baker, says at least the lives of other children can be saved. "This legislation helps give meaning to the tragic circumstances that took her life and the lives of many other children,” Baker said. “It is a tribute to these children and their grieving families that this bill will prevent injuries and death as a result of drowning. Graeme would be honored.”

The legislation bans the manufacture, sale or distribution of drain covers that don't meet anti-entrapment safety standards.

The new models of drains are hump-shaped. Pools with just one drain also are required to install a second drain system, or external shut-off.

Most adults don’t realize that the bottom of a pool and spa is a hidden hazard for children. At least one person dies each year because of the 400 to 500 pounds of forceful suction of a flat drain in a single-drain pool.

Continue reading "New Pool Drain Covers Hope To Prevent Swimming Pool Accidents" »

Posted by Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Swimming Pool Accidents

Bookmark: