Drowning Accidents

An unlocked pool gate; an unattended public pool; a lack of required rescue apparatus: there are many forms of negligence that lead to drowning and near-drowning accidents. And all too often, the victim is a child. West Palm Beach accident lawyer Jessica Mishali has many years of experience fighting for the rights of victims or their survivors.

Every day ten people in the U.S. drown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means 3,533 individuals, one-fifth of whom are children under age 14. Those who survive often suffer severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. Particularly alarming is that most small children who drown do so in the family swimming pool. In fact, the CDC reports that only birth defects account for more deaths in children age 1-4 than drowning. West Palm Beach accident attorney Jessica Mishali serves his clients who have lost loved ones needlessly with compassion and sensitivity.

Drownings are often differentiated as wet and dry. The National Association of Rescue Divers writes that a wet drowning victim’s lungs fill with water, preventing oxygen and carbon from entering, since they cannot breathe. The more common form is dry drowning. This is caused by a spasmodic response to the introduction of water into the air passages. Again, the victim is left unable to breathe.

The most common reasons people drown in pools are:

• They don’t know how to swim.
• They are intoxicated.
• They have a seizure disorder.
• The victim is not wearing a life jacket.
• The victim swam alone.

Drownings that are most likely to be result from negligence occur when:

• Life jackets are not provided.
• The fencing around the pool is not high enough.
• The pool yard gate is left unlocked.
• The child was left unattended.

While West Palm Beach accident lawyer Jessica Mishali may be able to help you gain compensation for the loss of a loved one to a drowning accident, it is better to avoid a problem in the first place. Among the steps you can take are:

• Have your children take swimming lessons.
• Have children wear life jackets.
• Always supervise children.
• Make sure your loved one never swims alone, even if he is an adult.
• Keep pool gates securely locked, and the perimeter fence in good repair.
• Keep rescue equipment close by.
• Take a CPR course.

If your loved one drowns or is injured in a swimming pool accident because of someone else’s negligence, West Palm Beach accident lawyer Jessica Mishali would like to hear from you. Call for a consultation at (561) 833-2772.