How Did Phoenix Address Its Drowning Problem?

More than 3,500 unintentional drownings took place across the country during the period between 2005 through 2014. That comes out to approximately ten deaths every day. In addition to unintentional drownings, boat-related accidents were responsible for 332 deaths. Statistically, children are the most susceptible to die from drowning with 25% of drowning deaths being a young person under the age of 14. These youngsters also represent a large majority of those who must seek emergency treatment for non-fatal injuries after an incident in the water.

Drowning injuries in Arizona can be very severe. When compared to all unintentional injuries which result in 6% of individuals needing further hospitalization after emergency treatment, over 50% of drowning victims will go on from emergency treatment to further hospitalization. Varying levels of brain damage can result from drowning accidents and when this happens, a victim may suffer from life-long cognitive problems and need life-long medical care.

If you or a loved one was injured or lost their lives in an Arizona drowning accident, you may be able to pursue a civil suit to obtain compensation for the damages sustained. To have your accident situation evaluated, call the Pheonix drowning accident attorneys at ELG. Our firm is dedicated to serving clients residing in the greater Phoenix area with the highest quality legal services and we don’t collect a dime unless we win your case.

Drowning in Arizona

Arizona’s mild to very hot climate makes it an ideal location for water-based activities like swimming to cool off. There are more residential, private pools in Arizona than anywhere else in the country. As of 2016, the state boasted more than 300,000 residential swimming pools. As such, Arizona has had an ongoing battle with swimming pool accidents. In the mid-1980s Arizona had the highest rate of death in preschool-aged children from drowning accidents than any other state in the nation. As of 2016, Arizona was fourth in the nation for drowning accidents in children aged one to four.

Of all the perils that exist which can hurt our young children, for Arizonians, drowning has proven to be the main cause of death for children aged one to four years. For approximately 9% of incidents where a small child drowned and survived their injuries, they suffered from some type of neurological damage. As a response to the drowning problems that took place in the greater Phoenix area, in 1988 the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona was created.

The goal of the coalition was to connect with the community to better educate individuals about the dangers of drowning and the impact such incidents have for both children and families. Also, a focus was put on better understanding what the risk factors are for drowning and how the community could adjust to reduce such accidents. 

Do You Need to Speak with an Arizona Drowning Accident Attorney?

Drowning accidents are very traumatic especially when they happen to our children. If you or someone you know was injured or lost their lives in an Arizona drowning accident, please do not hesitate to call the  Phoenix personal injury attorneys at ELG today at (623) 877-3600 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.