It is important to understand the various causes of drowning accidents and the best ways to prevent them, as summer is just around the corner. Read on and reach out to our skilled Prince George’s County personal injury attorney today. Our legal team is on your side.
How do drowning accidents occur in Maryland?
Drowning can result in severe brain damage and even death among those involved. In Maryland, these accidents most often occur as a result of the following:
- Not knowing how to swim: Many adults and children do not know how to swim or consider themselves weak swimmers.
- Missing or ineffective fences around water: Without borders, like fencing, young children can obtain access to the pool area without their caregivers’ awareness.
- Lack of close supervision: Drowning can happen quickly and quietly wherever there is water, especially in cases where children are unsupervised. It can happen in lakes, oceans, pools, bathtubs, and even where lifeguards are present.
- Location: When it comes to young children, including infants under the age of one, anywhere can be potentially hazardous. However, more than half of drownings among people fifteen years and older happen in natural waters including lakes, rivers, or oceans.
- Not wearing life jackets: You will want to note that life jackets can prevent drowning during water activities, especially boating and swimming.
- Alcohol consumption: This is more prevalent among adolescents and adults, and you should note that alcohol use is involved in:
- Up to seventy percent of deaths associated with water recreation
- Almost a quarter of emergency department visits for drowning
- Nearly twenty percent of boating deaths
- Use of drugs and prescription medications: Even some medically prescribed drugs can have consequences similar to the consumption of alcohol.
Are drowning accidents common?
Children ages one to four pass away from drowning more than any other cause of death except birth defects in the United States. For children between the ages of one to fourteen, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
Do not wait to reach out to our firm today if you or a loved one has faced the harsh outcomes of drowning. Our legal team is ready to help ensure that you and your loved one receive the justice you deserve. Give us a call today.
Contact Our Firm
At McCarthy, Winkelman, Mester & Offutt, L.L.P., our legal team has a strong focus on litigation that seeks just and fair compensation for victims of another party’s negligence. If you need a Prince George’s County personal injury lawyer that handles cases in Maryland, Washington D.C., or Virginia, our firm has the resources and knowledge needed to take a case as far as necessary, including to the U.S. Supreme Court. If you suffered an injury or loss because of another person’s negligence, contact us today.
