Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
A young boy died Tuesday evening from injuries he suffered while submerged in a swimming pool on June 14, 2013. He was just two years old.
The incident happened on East Country Drive in Bartlett. Police and fire crews responded to a report of a drowning child around 1:40 p.m. on June 14 and when they arrived, they found a 2-year-old boy in the water. Officials removed the boy and transported him to a local hospital where doctors treated him for his injuries but the boy did not survive. He was pronounced dead this week at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates.
It is not clear who owned the home where this incident occurred but officials have stated that it was not where the child lived. Right now, the drowning is being called a tragic accident that claimed this young boy’s life.
While all of the facts may not yet be known, what is clear is that a 2-year-old tragically lost his life while at the home of another. Unfortunately drowning claims the lives of too many children every year and many of these accidents occur in Illinois. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that children aged one to four have the highest drowning rate of any age group in America. Drowning accounts for 30 percent of the accidental deaths that occur to these children in any given year with only car accidents being responsible for more accidental deaths than drowning. Swimming pools are the most common location for childhood drownings and thus responsible for a large number of fatalities.
To aggressively combat these unnecessary deaths, the State of Illinois has passed regulations regarding safety devices and pool designs. In addition, many cities, counties, or townships have additional requirements that must be followed. For example, swimming pools in Illinois must be completely surrounded by a fence or wall and gates in the fence or wall must be self-closing and self-latching as well to keep unintended users out of the water. Bartlett requires a fence or wall around a private pool to be at least four feet high and that the latches on any gate be at least four feet above the ground. The pool regulations issued by Bartlett specifically state that a pool enclosure must be used “sufficient to make such body of water inaccessible to small children.”
Even with strong safety requirements in place, accidents still happen and children still get injured or drown in swimming pools. When that happens, the child and/or child’s family may have a claim for damages as a result of the injuries.
A claim can be brought against the owner or operator of a public or a private pool as well as anyone charged with the safety of a child, like a school, daycare, or lifeguard. To bring a claim, you should consult with a personal injury attorney who can analyze your case and help you get a recovery you deserve.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we are Chicago swimming pool accident lawyers who will fight for our client’s rights and we work hard to get a recovery that our client is entitled to. If you or your child have been injured in a swimming pool, call us today at (312) 924-7575 or (855) 529-2442 and let us provide you with a free, no obligation telephone consultation. We are standing by 24 hours a day to speak with you so please call us now.
Prior Blog Entries:
Motorcycle Deaths Increasing in Chicago, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published June 20, 2013.
Hockey Brings Injuries for Fans in Two Separate Games, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published June 19, 2013.
Resources:
Bartlett boy drowns in ‘tragic accident,’ by Joseph Ruzich, Chicago Tribune, published June 19, 2013.
Unintentional Drowning: Get the Facts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published 2012.
Village of Bartlett Pool Information.