Facts About Drowning Accidents
Florida loses more young children to drowning than any other state. Drowning is the leading cause of injury death among children ages 1-4 in Florida. Across the nation, drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that every day about 10 people die from unintentional drowning, and two of them are children 14 years old or younger.
Facts About Drowning Accidents
- Florida’s drowning death rate among children ages 1-4 is the highest in the nation.
- Children ages 1-4 account for the highest rates of drowning and non-fatal drowning hospitalization.
- Florida children under the age of 5 are most likely to drown in a swimming pool.
- Florida children ages 5-9 are most likely to drown in a natural/open body of water, like a lake or ocean.
- The fatal drowning and non-fatal hospitalization rates among males are 2.2 higher than among females. In 2012, males accounted for 72% of drowning deaths and non-fatal drowning hospitalizations combined, females accounted for 28%.
- The median cost for hospitalization after a non-fatal drowning was $16,034 in 2012. The median length of the hospital stay was 2 days.
Drowning Prevention
Back in 2010, the Florida Department of Health’s Injury Prevention Section launched the WaterproofFL Campaign: Pool Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility. The campaign call for supervision, barriers, and emergency preparedness.
- Install four-sided isolation fencing with a self-latching gate around pools and spas. Install alarms on all doors and windows leading to the pool.
- Learn to swim and never swim alone or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- When operating watercraft, do so safety and legally.
- Do not dive into water less than nine feet deep.
- Learn CPR.
Visit the WaterproofFL.com to learn how to secure your pool and protect our children from drowning accidents.
Drowning Accidents
If you or a loved one has been injured or died in a drowning or other water accident, you may be entitled to compensation.
If the drowning or other water accident occurs on someone else’s property, whether it be in an unsafe swimming pool, lake, pond, or other water facility, it may be the responsibility of the owner to pay for damages as they failed to operate and maintain the premises in a reasonably safe manner and condition.
Drowning and other water related accidents can occur in almost any body of water – whether it is on the property of a hotel, theme park, other business establishment, apartment, or even private home. If the owner of the property has been negligent in regards to the safety of guests or customers, you may be entitled to damages for your injury.
These damages can range from compensation for your medical bills and lost wages, to additional recovery damages for related expenses. If the injury you sustained during a pool or other related accident is severe, you might also be entitled to further compensation for pain and suffering, scarring, physical impairment, disfigurement, or diminished capacity for enjoying life.
If you were not personally involved in the accident, but rather a loved one drowned due to the negligence of others, you as the survivor or the estate may be entitled to recover damages for pain and suffering, loss of support and services, loss of companionship from the decedent, or for medical and funeral expenses that were incurred.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to a swimming or other water related accident in Central Florida, contact Draper Law Office today 866-767-4711. The consultation is free and we do not get paid unless we make a recovery in your case. Our offices are conveniently located in Orlando, and Kissimmee, to better serve you.
