According to statistics, drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional death in the United States. Every year, thousands of people in the US lose their lives to a drowning accident. Over 25% of these victims are children 14 years old or younger. These numbers aside, thousands more are seriously injured by a drowning incident and necessitate medical attention. Victims of these accidents span a wide age range. As an adult or parent, there are certain steps you can take to protect yourself and/or your children from suffering a tragic experience like drowning.
What are the causes of drowning?
There are a number of contributing factors that are associated with drowning injuries:
- Alcohol consumption
- Frequency of interaction with water
- Engaging in high-risk activities, such as diving from large heights
- Negligent watercraft use
- Playing in or around water despite a lack of swimming skills or experience
- Pre-existing medical conditions, such as seizures
Those who find one or more of these risk factors present when engaging in water-related activities or spending time in an aquatic environment are at a higher risk of suffering a drowning-related injury.
To keep yourself and your family safe from drowning accidents, be sure to
- Always have a supervised swimming area
- Do not allow any wild behavior in or around the swimming area
- Keep any surface areas around the water source (like a pool deck) free from standing water
- Have emergency / safety equipment on hand at all times
Contact Us
If you would like to know more about drowning injuries and how to prevent these terrible accidents, contact the Indianapolis drowning accident lawyers of Hankey Marks & Crider today at (317) 634-8565 to speak with one of our qualified attorneys about your questions.