Improperly Designed, Maintained or Constructed Swimming Pools Many Times Lead to Tragedy
Unfortunately every year over 1,000 children will drown in a swimming pool accident. Most of these accidents or drownings are easily to preventable. Beside the 1,000 deaths, it is estimated that almost 60,000 people last year required emergency room treatment for injuries sustained with swimming pools, swimming pool slides and diving boards. A person can drown in under 2 inches of water and die or sustain brain damage with submersion for a mere few minutes. Last year a new federal law went into effect requiring swimming pools to have covers over drainage systems to prevent drain suction from trapping swimmers under water or from sucking their innards out, a strange but true phenomena. Though the law took effect six months ago, I’m betting many pools have not brought themselves up to code in the current economic environment. Some experts and other sources informed me that many municipal pools are “still working on the problem” and have not yet complied with the federally mandated requirement. There is no excuse to allow anything other than a safe swimming pool environment to exist. Most state and local officials affirm they will check pools but stress they do not have the power to close pools. Unfortunately, there is still not a formal system or requirement for state or local officials to send information to Washington to ensure that pools are in conformance with the new regulations set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a swimming pool or water park accident, please contact the experienced swimming pool and amusement injury lawyers at the Philadelphia personal injury law firm of Reiff and Bily at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com for a free no obligation consultation. We have been committed to representing consumers’ rights successfully since 1979.
