In late January, an 18-year-old college freshman unexpectedly drowned in a swimming pool located at the Moody Bible Institute’s River North campus in Chicago. According to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro, the young man was discovered unresponsive in a pool at a facility located on North Wells Street. Emergency responders reportedly transported the teen to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office stated the young man drowned and ruled his death an accident.
Data from the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that about 10 people die in the United States every day as a result of accidental drowning. Between 2005 and 2009, more than 3,500 people drowned in non-boating related accidents. The CDC claims that approximately 80 percent of drowning victims are male and children under 14 account for about one-fifth of all accidental drowning deaths nationwide. In addition, kids between the ages of one and four reportedly suffer the highest risk of drowning. Sadly, about 30 percent of deaths for children in that age group result from drowning.
Property owners in Illinois must keep their premises reasonably safe and secure. If a property owner fails to comply with local laws and pool safety standards or creates a dangerous condition around a pool, the owner may be held liable for any injury or death that results. In addition, if the owner constructs an attractive nuisance such as a slide near a pool and fails to ensure a fence or other safety equipment is installed, the property owner may be held financially responsible for any injury that occurs. Because Illinois is a comparative negligence accident state, someone who was injured as a result of another person’s actions may be able to recover financial damages for their harm even if he or she is somehow partially to blame.
Drowning accidents often result from a lack of a barrier or fence around a pool, failure to properly supervise children, not wearing a life jacket, alcohol use, and a number of other factors. Even a nonfatal drowning incident may cause permanent disability and brain damage. If your child or other loved one drowned in a private pool, you may be entitled to recover damages for your loss. Contact a skilled Chicago personal injury attorney to discuss your case in more detail.
If you were hurt or a loved one was killed in a preventable drowning accident that occurred on someone else’s property, do not hesitate to contact the hardworking lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today. Our dedicated Chicago Metro premises liability attorneys are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to help you file your personal injury case. For a free consultation with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer, please call Abels & Annes, P.C. at (312) 475-9596.
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Additional Resources:
Freshman Drowns In Pool Accident At Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.cbslocal.com