On Sunday afternoon, adults realized that a 3-year-old boy was missing from a home in Home Glen. After reporting the boy’s absence to local police, he was found in a neighbor’s pool, unresponsive. The neighbor performed CPR on the young boy until paramedics arrived and took over but the boy did not survive. Paramedics took the child to Silver Cross Hospital where he was pronounced dead just before noon.
The incident occurred at a home in the 1300 block of Chicago-Bloomington Road in Homer Glen on Sunday morning. The boy was reportedly a resident of Colorado and it is not clear what he was doing in the neighborhood. Though the specific facts have not yet been disclosed, there is an indication that a gate surrounding the neighbor’s pool may have been left open after a party on Saturday evening.
Accidental drowning is one of the biggest causes of death among children age one to four. For this reason, regulations covering swimming pools have become increasingly stringent in recent years. Each state, township, municipality and city has different applicable rules so it is important for swimming pool owners to make sure they are in compliance with the right set so they can legally maintain their pool.
If a swimming pool is available to a child, the child will find a way to get to the pool. Holes in a fence that may seem minimal to an owner can provide an easy means of access to a pool when seen through the eyes of a 2-year-old. Similarly, many pool owners have fences with gates surrounding the water but the gates are often propped open during a party where people will be coming and going from the home. This defeats the purpose of the gate and creates an extremely dangerous situation for children, including those at neighboring homes, as this incident illustrates.
It is the responsibility of every pool owner to make sure they comply with all applicable safety regulations. Not only is it the law, but it can help save a life. If a child is not able to gain access to water, the child cannot drown. Preventing unintended access to a pool is the most important thing a pool owner can do.
When an accident occurs and a child is injured or killed in a swimming pool, the child and his or her family may have a claim for the injuries sustained, including the death of the child. While nothing can rewind time and prevent the accident from occurring, with a personal injury settlement, you may receive money to help pay for medical bills and other expenses you incur as well as compensation for your child’s pain and suffering.
If your child has been hurt or killed in a pool, call the Chicago swimming pool injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a free, no obligation telephone consultation. At Abels & Annes, P.C., we dedicate our practice to the representation of those who are injured through the negligence of another. Our goal is to help our clients after they have suffered a loss and we will fight for our client’s rights. Call us today at (312) 924-7575 or toll free at (855) 529-2442 for a free case consultation and let us help you now.
Prior Blog Entries:
New Designs May Help Pedestrians Survive Car Crashes, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published July 8, 2013.
Driver Hits and Kills Pedestrian in Romeoville, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published July 7, 2013.
Resources:
Boy, 3, dies after being found in suburban pool, by Liam Ford and Adam Sege, Chicago Tribune, published July 8, 2013.