Although the weather is warm year-round in Valley Center and throughout San Diego County, summer remains a popular time for taking vacations and for getting out of the house for weekend trips. With the school year also nearing its end, parents in Valley Center should get prepared for summer and should be thinking about ways to prevent personal injuries. According to a recent article in Reader’s Digest, there are many different ways in which personal injuries can happen during the summer months, and a lot of them are unexpected. We have a list of some of the most common yet unexpected dangers that typically affect people over the summer. By knowing about injury risks, residents of and visitors to San Diego County can better avoid them.

Common Injury Risks You May be Ignoring

What are some of the most frequent summer injury risks that many people tend to ignore? Take a look at the following:

• Photokeratitis, or a sunburn on your eyeballs. While many people know that they need to wear sunscreen when they go to the beach in San Diego, they may not always wear proper eye protection. The Vision Council recently pointed out that only about 30% of people wear sunglasses with UV protection when they are outside, and only 44% of people wear protective sunglasses at the beach. Photokeratitis is “cumulative and irreversible.”
• Bacteria in the water. Whether you are at the beach or going to a public pool, there is often bacteria in the water that could cause serious injury. From E. coli at beaches to other harmful bacteria in swimming pools, going swimming can make you sick.
• Puncture wounds at public parks. Believe it or not, many people suffer puncture wounds during the summer months, and they often happen when someone decides to go barefoot at a park or in a backyard that has not been properly maintained.
• Fractures on slides. More kids are playing at local playgrounds during the summer, and slides are actually known for causing leg fractures. Indeed, more than one-third of all children who suffered injuries on slides sustained lower-leg fractures. The most common victims were toddlers between the ages of 12 and 23 months.
• Burns on plastic playground equipment. During the summer, plastic slides and swings can get really hot. In fact, they can get so hot from the sun that exposure to them can cause second-degree burns on a child’s skin. Risks are especially high from kids under the age of 2.
• Drowning risks. Not only do beaches and pools potentially expose swimmers to bacteria, but they can also produce drowning accidents. Children under the age of 5, and then teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24, are at highest risk of injuries in a drowning incident.

Contact a Valley Center Personal Injury Lawyer

Summer injuries can happen because of another party’s negligence. If you have questions about filing a personal injury lawsuit, you should speak with a Valley Center personal injury attorney about your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm to speak with an experienced advocate.

See Related Blog Posts: Dog Bites and Anxious Victims in San Marcos Preventing Hot Car Deaths in Escondido

(image courtesy of Angelo Pantazis)

One of the great features of any hotel when you are on vacation with your family is an outdoor pool. Even for visitors to Rancho Bernardo who are planning to spend much of their time at the beach, if you are staying at a hotel with a pool, there is a good chance that you and your children will enjoy some time by the poolside. However, pools can be extremely dangerous, and children especially can sustain serious hotel injuries at a pool. While drowning due to swimming inexperience or slipping and falling typically is the primary concern when it comes to hotel pool injuries, there are other ways that guests can get hurt while enjoying the water. Specifically, pool drain accidents and pool filter accidents happen more often than you might think.

Hotel Pools and Circulation Entrapments in Drains

Pools and hot tubs at hotels have drain systems and filter systems that are designed to clean the water and to create circulation. While these systems help to ensure that hotel guests are swimming in clean water, they can also lead to serious personal injuries if proper safety precautions are not taken or if these devices do not undergo regular maintenance. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) refers to many of these injuries that lead to drowning deaths as “circulation entrapments.” In such situations, an injured guest may be able to file a hotel negligence claim.

As an article in the New York Daily News clarifies, “the suction created by the drains [in pools and hot tubs] can trap children under the surface or catch limbs, in some cases causing serious injury or death.” Indeed, according to a spokesperson for the Pool Safety Council, “the force of a drain on a residential pool has a weight of at least 500 pounds.” Every year, 390 children under the age of 15, on average, suffer fatal injuries in “pool or spa-related submersion injuries,” with many of these accidents involving pool drains and filters. More than 50% of these injuries occur at public pools or hotel pools.

Between the years 2008 and 2012, pool drain injuries were responsible for a total of 39 emergency department visits, and most of the victims were children. They suffered from a variety of injuries, including drowning symptoms, fractured bones, and intestinal prolapse. At least two children during that period died from their injuries. A 7-year-old girl recently suffered a near-fatal drowning after her hair got caught in a swimming pool filter, according to an article in News.com.

Pool Drain Accidents can be Prevented When Hotels Take Proper Safety Measures

Pools drains need to be inspected regularly, or else they can come loose. As the article emphasizes, many newer pools have domed drain covers that are designed to prevent these types of injuries, but even this type of drain cover can lead to a circulation entrapment if it is not checked often by hotel maintenance. In some cases, the screws come loose, and in others they become rusty and the drain cover comes off.

If a child does get stuck in a pool drain, it is important to avoid trying to life the child directly off the train. To be sure, “the force of the suction makes that impossible.” What should parents or staff do? An adult should attempt to wedge their fingers between the drain and the child’s body, and then roll the child off the drain sideways.

Contact a Hotel Negligence Attorney in Rancho Bernardo

Hotels and motels have a duty to maintain pools properly, including drains and filters. If your child suffered an injury at a hotel or motel in Southern California, you should speak with a Rancho Bernardo hotel negligence lawyer about your options. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about how we assist injury victims.

See Related Blog Posts: California Hotel Liability and Swimming Pool Accidents Liability When Resort or Hotel Guests Get Hurt

(image courtesy of Ryan Wilson)

Can children and adults really suffer fatal injuries as a result of “dry drowning” or “secondary drowning” in San Marcos this summer? Parents often hear about—and worry about—the risks of dry drowning, yet according to a recent article in TribLive, physicians say that there are many misconceptions about dry drowning and secondary drowning that need to be cleared up. These terms suggest that they refer to medical conditions, when in fact they often are used in many different scenarios in which people are suffering from a variety of medical conditions. As such, parents do not need to worry about dry drowning, but they do need to be aware of other medical conditions that can arise when a child is involved in a drowning accident.

Dry Drowning is Not Real, But Other Medical Conditions are

According to Dr. Peter Wernicki, who is a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, the terms ‘dry drowning’ and ‘secondary drowning’ are ones that have “totally been over-hyped by social media and people who are not knowledgeable on the subject.” He went on to emphasize that there is a common misconception that kids get rescued from the water or accidentally swallow or inhale water in the ocean or in a pool, and then suddenly—without warning—the child stops breathing hours or days later. As Wernicki underscores, “that just doesn’t happen.” Indeed, he clarified, “a child doesn’t act fine for eight hours and then die from drowning.”

Yet this does not mean that a near-drowning incident can not result in other serious medical conditions that can in fact lead to death if left untreated. For instance, kids (as well as adults) who are involved in near-drowning incidents can contract aspiration pneumonia. This is an “infection that develops from water trapped in the lungs.” Yet, as Wernicki highlights, this is not a situation that could be described as drowning, and it is also very rare. Other serious infections and conditions can also happen after a near-drowning accident, but they have warning signs, and they simply should not be classified as dry drowning or secondary drowning given that each is distinct.

Signs of Aspiration Pneumonia and Other Conditions Resulting from a Near-Drowning Incident

Recognizing that the terms ‘dry drowning’ and ‘secondary drowning’ have become misleading, the American Red Cross has recommended that healthcare providers stop using them. Parents often bring their children to the doctor after the child has ingested water while swimming, worrying that the child could die as a result of dry drowning. Yet doctors underscore that this is not time well spent. Kids who do have aspiration pneumonia and other conditions show signs like “coughing and labored breathing many hours after leaving the water,” which means that parents would know if there was a problem.

Instead of spending time seeking treatment for kids with no symptoms, pediatricians recommend that parents spend time on drowning prevention methods, including swimming lessons and CPR training.

Just because dry drowning is not a real condition does not mean that parents should not be vigilant about signs of harm after a near-drowning accident. The following are symptoms that may require medical attention:

• Increasingly rapid breathing;
• Labored breathing;
• Lethargy; and
• Any general signs that the child is not well.

Contact a San Marcos Drowning Accident Lawyer

If your child suffered serious harm in a drowning accident, you should speak with a San Marcos drowning accident lawyer about your options. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Oceanside Residents and the Pool Safety Act California Hotel Liability and Swimming Pool Accidents

(image courtesy of Ryan Wilson)

If you live in Carlsbad and spend a significant amount of time at the beach with your family, it is important to carefully consider the risks of drowning accidents in open water. While drowning dangers certainly exist at home swimming pools, a new study addresses the growing risk of drowning in open water. An article in Today discusses the recent study conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide, which suggests that “families need to pay more attention to swimming safety—especially in open water.” According to the study, drowning rates in open water have increased, and parents need to take preventive measures to ensure their children’s safety.

Swimming Pool Drowning Accidents Decrease While Open Water Drowning Incidents Increase

The Safe Kids Worldwide study focuses on the fact that most drowning prevention education and outreach tends to highlight the dangers of swimming pools. Parents learn about the need to keep pools fenced so that children can not accidentally enter the pool without adult supervision, and the importance of always keeping an eye on any child who is swimming. This kind of outreach work, according to the study, has helped to reduce the rate of swimming pool drowning accidents across the country. At the same time, however, the rate of open water drowning accidents has risen.

According to Morag Mackay, the Safe Kids Worldwide director of research, “we used to hear a lot about kids drowning in pools and there has been a fair amount of work done in that area, and we have seen those drowning decrease.” Yet as Mackay emphasizes, “drownings in open water have increased.”

Approximately 43% of drowning accidents happen in open water, while only about 38% of drowning accidents occur in swimming pools. In 2016 alone, 1,000 kids died in drowning accidents, while near-drowning incidents resulted in more than 7,000 kids visiting emergency departments for medical treatment. Around 80% of kids who drown in open water are males between the ages of 15 and 19.

Getting the Facts About Kids and Drowning Risks

Whether you are staying in San Diego County this summer or taking a family vacation elsewhere, you should make sure to learn about all of the risks surrounding open water. When safety experts talk about drowning risks in open water, they are referring to all of the following locations where kids and families tend to swim:

• Oceans;
• Rivers;
• Ponds;
• Lakes;
• Reservoirs;
• Retention ponds; and
• Quarries.

Why is swimming in open water so dangerous? As the study explains, learning to swim in open water is a lot different than learning to swim in a pool. Open water swimming areas often have dangers that pools do not have, including but not limited to the following:

• Rocks and vegetation that can be slippery or cause wounds;
• Distances that are difficult to judge;
• Limited visibility;
• Shifting currents that can be dangerous;
• Limited to no visibility;
• Stark differences in temperature; and
• Often steep drop-offs.

If you take your family swimming in an open water area, poor swimmers should always keep life jackets on at all times, and you should only swim in designated areas where life guards are on duty.

Contact a Carlsbad Drowning Accident Lawyer

If your child or someone you love recently suffered injuries in a drowning accident, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. A dedicated Carlsbad drowning accident attorney can help with your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can assist you.

See Related Blog Posts: Oceanside Residents and the Pool Safety Act California Hotel Liability and Swimming Pool Accidents

(image courtesy of Matt Hardy)

Nobody in Oceanside likes to think about the possibility of a serious drowning accident in which a child suffers serious or fatal injuries. However, drowning accidents happen with some frequency—especially in Southern California—and it is important for parents to be aware of the risks. Indeed, according to a recent article in the Patch, officials have identified an “alarming spike in juvenile drownings this year” in Southern California, which led to a “public health warning urging families to exercise caution with youth and water.” We are only three months into 2018, and so far four children have died as a result of drowning accidents in the state. To put that number in perspective, four children died in total from drowning incidents in 2017.

Dangers of Backyard Pools in Oceanside

Whether you have a young child or a teenager, it is important to learn more about the risks of drowning, especially if you have a backyard pool. Many preventable drowning incidents happen at home. As the article explains, a child in Riverside County recently died from drowning after riding a toy car into his own backyard pool. The parents thought the toddler was inside the house, only to find him in the family pool after it was too late to resuscitate him. Similarly, a 9-year-old child at a nearby home died after falling into a family pool to retrieve a tennis ball. Nobody at the house found her until 15 minutes after she had drowned.

In response to the high rate of drowning incidents this year, the Riverside University Health System issued a news release designed to warn parents in California about the serious risks of drowning and the importance of being vigilant: “Cases such as these demonstrate how important it is to monitor children anytime they are near any body of water, whether it is a backyard pool, an outdoor sauna, or an indoor bathtub.”

Notably, none of the child drowning deaths reported this year in Southern California have occurred while the child was swimming. Rather, the incidents occurred accidentally while each child was out of the eyesight of parents or other family members.

Getting the Facts About Child Drowning Incidents

How common are child drowning incidents? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than 3,500 drowning deaths, on average, each year in the country. Approximately 20 percent of those drowning fatalities are children who are under the age of 15. As the CDC points out, “for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.”

Even when drownings are not fatal, about 50% of them require that the patient be hospitalized for additional care. A drowning incident, even if it does not result in the death of the child, can cause significant brain damage, which can affect the child’s memory, learning ability, and even basic functioning.

To prevent drowning accidents, the CDC recommends that anyone with a pool at home install four-sided fencing that is at least four feet high, and to use self-closing and self-latching gates to keep children out unless an adult is present. There are also other types of barriers that can prevent kids from getting into a swimming pool when a parent is not present. To remove a child’s desire to enter the pool without an adult, it is important to keep pool toys stored away from the pool itself.

Contact an Oceanside Drowning Accident Lawyer

Spring is here, and more families are using their pools. If you have questions about pool safety or need help with a drowning accident case, an experienced Oceanside drowning accident lawyer can assist you. Contact the Walton Law Firm today.

See Related Blog Posts: Oceanside Residents and the Pool Safety Act California Hotel Liability and Swimming Pool Accidents

(image courtesy of joey banks)

Drowning accidents happen more often than they should in Oceanside and other parts of San Diego County. While many drowning accidents happen at the beach when swimmers are just off the shore, drowning accidents can also occur with some frequency in home swimming pools. In particular, pools can pose serious risks to child safety when they do not have proper guards or barriers. Recognizing the dangers of swimming pool accidents to young children, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed into law the Pool Safety Act (SB 442), according to a recent report from PR Newswire. That law took effect on January 1, 2018, and it “requires new or remodeled pools and spas to have two of seven child protective safety barriers.”

Will the new law help to prevent avoidable drowning accidents in Southern California?

Drowning is a Leading Cause of Death Among California Children

According to the report, numerous agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) cite drowning as the second-leading cause of death for kids in California who are between the ages of one and four. Between 2010 and 2014, “more than 160 children one to four years of age, inclusive, suffered fatal drowning, with the majority of the incidents involving residential pools.”

In addition to drowning deaths, many children in the state have also sustained severe and debilitating injuries. During the period between 2010 and 2015, more than 740 kids in that same age group were hospitalized with injuries caused by a near-drowning incident in a residential pool. Near-drowning accidents can be devastating, often leading to serious and permanent brain injury due to asphyxiation.

How the Pool Safety Act can Help

As we mentioned above, the Pool Safety Act requires that new or renovated homes with residential swimming pools have at least two of the seven child protection features listed in the statute. These features help to keep kids from accidentally falling into a pool, which is how most drowning deaths occur in young children. The law specifically states that all private single-family residential pools must have at least two of the following drowning prevention safety features:

• Enclosure that isolates the pool from the private single-family home;
• Removable mesh fencing with a self-closing and self-latching gate;
• Approved safety pool cover;
• Exit alarms on doors to the home that provide direct access to the pool and issue a noise or verbal warning;
• Self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism on the home’s doors that lead to the pool;
• Alarm that alerts when someone enters the swimming pool or spa; and
• Another means of protection that is of equal or greater protection to those listed in the law.

Contact an Oceanside Drowning Accident Lawyer

If you or your child suffered injuries in a drowning incident, an Oceanside drowning accident lawyer may be able to help. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: California Hotel Liability and Swimming Pool Accidents Could Carlsbad Lifeguards Reduce Drowning Risks?

(image courtesy of Ryan Wilson)

If you are staying at a hotel in Rancho Bernardo with your family, and there is a swimming pool accident, who is liable? Hotel accidents and accidental drowning incidents happen more often than they should. Hotels in Southern California and throughout the country often have signs around pool areas that warn about risks. In some situations, parents sign waivers for their kids to use a hotel pool. Can a hotel still be liable in the event that a drowning incident occurs and a child sustains serious personal injuries?

The facts of each case are different, but it is important to know that warnings and waivers do not always release hotels or other property owners from liability in a swimming pool accident.

Premises Liability and Swimming Pools at California Hotels

If you stay at a hotel, you should be able to expect that the premises will be free from hazards that could result in a serious accident. Likewise, you should be able to anticipate that a pool deck area does not have hazards that could lead to a slip and fall accident or a drowning incident. Hotels owe a duty to keep the premises safe for guests. Under California law, to prove that a hotel breached that duty to its guests, the plaintiff must be able to show the following:

• Hotel was negligent in the use or maintenance of the property;
• Plaintiff suffered harm; and
• Hotel’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff’s harm.

What does it mean for the hotel to be negligent in the use or maintenance of the property? California law clarifies that a hotel can be negligent if it “fails to use reasonable care to keep the property in a reasonably safe condition.” This means that the hotel must “use reasonable care to discover any unsafe conditions and to repair, replace, or give adequate warning of anything that could be reasonably expected to harm others.”

Hotel Swimming Pool Accidents That Could Result in Liability

There are some types of hotel accident cases in which the hotel more clearly bears responsibility for the plaintiff’s injuries. For instance, if there is an unsafe condition around the hotel pool, such as a gaping hole or a broken pool ladder, then it is more likely that the plaintiff will be able to prove that the hotel was negligent in a premises liability lawsuit. However, other situations are trickier.

In instances in which parents rely on a swim instructor or activities instructor at the hotel to provide reasonable care for their kids, then the hotel may be liable, even if the parents sign a waiver. For example, in the California Supreme Court case of Santa Barbara v. Janeway (2007), the parents signed a waiver regarding their child’s swimming at a summer camp. The court held that, while parents can sign a waiver that removes liability in instances of ordinary negligence, such waivers are unenforceable when there are instances of gross negligence.

Yet other situations are even trickier. What if the pool deck does not have any obvious hazards, but it simply has not been updated in a number of years, and the walkway is slicker than it used to be? Does the question of liability change as soon as the hotel posts warning signs? In most situations, a warning sign will help to show that the hotel exercised reasonable care, but it is always important to seek advice from a personal injury lawyer.

Contact a Rancho Bernardo Hotel Accident Lawyer

If you or your child suffered injuries at a hotel in California, an experienced Rancho Bernardo hotel accident lawyer can assist you. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: California Supreme Court Sets Precedent for Negligence Claims Liability When Resort or Hotel Guests Get Hurt

(image courtesy of Ryan Wilson)

While beaches in Carlsbad and Oceanside are popular throughout the year, these beaches grow particularly crowded during the summer when the risk of a drowning accident increases. According to a recent article in The San Diego Union-Tribune, a drowning death in Carlsbad last summer has left members of the community “looking for ways to improve safety at its three-quarter-mile North Beach before the busy season returns.” Currently, that area of the beach, which is very close to Oceanside, does not have lifeguards on duty. In the event of an emergency, state lifeguards will “respond from the nearby state beach.” However, safety advocates argue that such a response is insufficient.

Developing a Plan to Make Carlsbad Beach Area Safer

The City Council, according to the article, wants its staff to “develop a plan on how to make the beach safer, including the possibility of adding lifeguards there.” According to City Manager Kevin Crawford, City Council staff members will conduct research into different safety options and will seek involvement from Carlsbad residents before providing the City Council with “some options that could be implemented before summer.” As Crawford clarified, “It’s going to be a push . . . a lot of work, but I think we can do it.”

Why is there a clear need for a better safety response? The article points out that, if one looks at the number of lifeguard rescues in Carlsbad compared to those at nearby beaches, the numbers alone suggest a need for state lifeguards to patrol. For instance, over the July 4th weekend in 2016, 197 rescues were made by state lifeguards called in for an emergency around North Beach, while 225 rescues were made at other state park beaches in the Carlsbad area. Shortly after the July 4th weekend, a tourist in Carlsbad drowned at North Beach with his 12-year-old granddaughter.

Although there are signs posted at North Beach that warn visitors about the dangers of going into the ocean for “weak swimmers,” such signs often are not enough to keep tourists out of the water. Given that “there are no safety services on the city beach,” relying upon lifeguards at nearby state parks simply is not sufficient in many cases. Carlsbad city officials have been considering ways of adding lifeguard services to North Beach since 1983, yet the addition of such services has not yet come to fruition. However, as the beach becomes a more popular spot for tourists, the need for safety mechanisms and protocols becomes more pronounced.

Learning More About Unintentional Drowning

How often do unintentional drowning deaths occur, and can they be prevented? According to a fact sheet from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on average, more than 3,500 unintentional drowning deaths have occurred each year in the country between 2005 and 2014. This figure does not take into account boating accidents, which would significantly increase this number. To put that figure another way, around 10 drowning deaths occur each day on average.

To prevent drowning deaths, the CDC recommends the following:

• Ensure that children take formal swimming lessons, especially if they are between the ages of 1 and 4 years old;
• Learn CPR if you spend time near the water as you could help to save a life;
• Always supervise children when they are in or around the water;
• Require your children to use the buddy system when swimming in a pool or in the ocean, and set an example by doing so yourself;
• Do not drink alcohol when you are in or around the water;
• Obey warnings at your local beach;
• Know the signs of dangerous waves or indications of rip currents (such as discolored, choppy, foamy, or debris-filled water); and
• If you get caught in a rip current, you should swim parallel to the shore.

Many drowning deaths are preventable. If you or someone you love got hurt in a drowning incident, you should speak with a Carlsbad drowning accident lawyer. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Swimming Pools as “Death Traps”? Learning More About Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning

(image courtesy of Ian Schneider)

Whether you are swimming in a pool at your San Diego home or are visiting a neighbor’s house, do you need to be worried about your child’s safety as well as your own? According to a recent article in U.S. News & World Report, swimming pools can become death traps more frequently than most of us would like to believe, especially for young children. As that article explains, around 18 millions homes in the U.S. currently have swimming pools, but drowning is actually the leading cause of accidental death among children 1 to 4 years old. As the article emphasizes, a majority of those unintentional deaths occur in home swimming pools.

While kids under the age of four are at a higher risk of drowning than children in other age groups, it is important to remember that drowning can result in the death of anyone, at any age. For kids under the age of 15, drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death. As such, it is important to take precautions to prevent your pool from becoming a death trap, as the article warns.

Supervision and Swimming Lessons for Your Kids

The first and most important aspect of pool safety is making sure that your children are supervised at all times when they are in the pool. You should not take your eyes off the pool—even for a minute or two—to read a magazine or to check your email on your smartphone. It takes a short time for a child to drown, and parents need to be aware that supervision is key to preventing drowning accidents in home pools.

Almost as important as adult supervision, you should ensure that your kids know how to swim. Sign your children up for swimming lessons early on and be sure that they know what to do when a water situation becomes dangerous. While your kids are taking swimming lessons, you should consider learning CPR. In the event that a child does have a near-drowning incident in or around your pool, you can have the tools to save a life.

Safeguard the Pool Area

Supervision and swimming skills are key to preventing drowning deaths. At the same time, however, it is essential for parents with home pools to take steps to keep the pool area safe for kids. The article recommends the following tips:

• Completely fence in your pool, ideally using fence of at least six feet in height and three feet away from the pool so that it can be safely scaled without falling in. Not just any fencing will do, either. You should use fencing that does not have any “horizontal footholds of grips that allow kids to climb it.” Additionally, the fence should not have vertical slats that are more than four inches apart, or else a child may be able to slip through those slats.
• Install a gate to your pool area that has “self-closing spring hinges and a self-locking latch that is well out of reach” of children, typically at least five feet from the ground.
• Remove any furniture or other items that kids could use to scale your pool fence, including but not limited to: low-hanging tree branches, chairs, tables, and ladders.

If your child got hurt in a pool accident, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. An experienced San Diego drowning accident attorney can discuss your options with you. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Learning More About Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning Link Between Drowning Accidents and California Drought

(image courtesy of Matias Romero)

Most San Diego residents do not have to wait until summer to enjoy trips to the beach or afternoons by the pool. However, given that most children are on vacation during the summer months and likely will be engaging in recreational activities in and around the water, it is important to think about water safety and ways of preventing serious and even fatal child injuries. Parents in California should understand the risks and symptoms of both dry drowning and secondary drowning, and how to react in the event that an accident happens. According to a recent article in the Huffington Post, dry drowning and secondary drowning are not especially well understood, and it is important to learn more about how these incidents can occur.

Risks Continue After a Child Leaves the Water One of the scariest features of both dry drowning and secondary drowning is that the child typically appears to be safe after being pulled from the water, only to exhibit life-threatening symptoms at a later point. Dry drowning is a little bit different from secondary drowning in terms of the timing. To better understand the symptoms of each, we should take a closer look at what each type of drowning entails.

What is dry drowning? As the article explains, it is a form of drowning that occurs when a child swallows water, and that water irritates his or her throat and windpipes to the extent that the child has difficulty breathing. Dry drowning typically takes place within an hour following a near-drowning experience. Parents should see signs or symptoms of dry drowning within an hour—and perhaps much sooner—of swallowing or inhaling water.

Without immediate medical attention, a dry drowning incident can quickly result in death. It is important for parents to recognize that dry drowning need not occur following a near-drowning experience in a pool or in the ocean. Even a small puddle of water can lead to a dry drowning incident. For example, if a child slips and falls outside and lands in a small amount of water, that can be enough to cause a life-threatening situation. Bathtubs and showers, too, can lead to a dry drowning incident.

Secondary drowning is a bit different in that it can take many hours—sometimes up to 24 hours—for symptoms to appear. While dry drowning does not necessarily result in water in a child’s lungs, secondary drowning happens when a child swallows or inhales water, and it enters the lungs. If water enters a child’s lungs, the lungs can collapse, making it impossible for the child to breathe.

This type of drowning is not always accompanied by a clearly dangerous situation in the water. In other words, a parent might not see his or her child flailing in the water before a secondary drowning accident occurs. Incidents that can lead to secondary drowning often do not seem especially serious at the time. As such, if your child displays any signs or symptoms, take your child to a health care provider immediately.

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning The key to avoiding a dry drowning or secondary drowning fatality is to seek immediate medical attention if your child displays signs or symptoms. According to WebMD, the following are signs and symptoms of dry drowning and secondary drowning:

• Coughing;
• 
  Extreme fatigue;
• 
  Chest pain; and
• 
  Difficulty breathing.

If your child sustained injuries in a drowning incident caused by another person’s negligence, an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to discuss your case.

See Related Blog Posts: Link Between Drowning Accidents and California Drought Summer Safety and Drowning Accidents

(photo courtesy of Scott Liddell)

Drought Makes Swimming Conditions Hazardous

It is often more dangerous to swim in lakes and rivers during a drought—such as the one that Californians have been facing for nearly three years—than in drought-free conditions. Indeed, in rivers such as the American River or Sacramento River in Northern California, drought conditions mean that the shorelines have been pulled back, particularly at the site where the two rivers in the area come together. When shorelines are pulled back, swimmers can “get caught in strong currents where the water suddenly deepens,” the article explains.

Researchers have been looking into the connections between droughts and drownings, especially given that California has witnessed a rise in the number of drowning deaths over the past few years. For instance, whereas Sacramento County typically has only one or two deaths connected to accidental drowning, it has already reported six drowning deaths this year alone. To be sure, the a report from the coroner’s office indicated that “drownings on the American River are two times higher than average in the last decade.”

In addition to stronger currents, a report from ABC News also emphasized that drought conditions can push debris, trees, and rocks closer to the surface of rivers and lakes. As such, both swimmers and boaters can be at greater risk of an accident in the water.

Accidental Drowning Statistics: What You Need to Know

What should you know about unintentional drownings? According to a fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 10 people die each day in an accidental drowning, and about 20 percent of those victims are kids under the age of 15. In other words, the number of drowning deaths in the country is higher than many people might think. It is actually the fifth-leading cause of unintentional injury death in America.

The CDC provides some important statistics concerning risk factors for drowning, as well as tips for preventing an accidental death:

• More males die from unintentional drownings than do females (about 80 percent of all reported drowning deaths are males).
• Children between the ages of 1 and 4 are at greatest risk of being injured in an accidental drowning. Indeed, among children in this age group who suffered fatal injuries in an unintentional accident, about one-third died by drowning.
• A majority of drowning accidents occur at home, but a drowning can happen anywhere.
• Knowing how to swim can greatly reduce the risk of an unintentional drowning among children.
• Putting up a barrier to a home swimming pool, including gates and pool fencing, is one of the most important ways to prevent a child from drowning. And the type of fence matters, too. The CDC reports that “a four-sided isolated fence . . . reduces a child’s risk of drowning 83 percent compared to three-sided property-line fencing.”
• Failing to wear a life jacket, both in the pool and out in the river or the ocean, is one of the primary causes of drowning accidents in older kids and adults.
• Alcohol use greatly increases the risk of an unintentional drowning. The CDC reports that alcohol use was cited in about 70 percent of water-related deaths.

If a family member suffered an accidental drowning, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. You should discuss your case with a San Diego accident lawyer as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to find out more about how we can assist you.

Photo Credit: therapycatguardian via Compfight cc See Related Blog Posts: Summer Safety and Drowning Accidents Fatal Nighttime Diving Accidents

Identifying Drowning Risks in Southern California

Most of us assume that young children are among those most likely to suffer fatal injuries in a drowning. As a result of this assumption, we often expect that adults can handle themselves when they’re in the water, and we’re less likely to suspect a drowning accident. However, the recent report showed that, “while toddlers are at higher risk for water-related emergencies, they weren’t the age demographic most likely to die in the water.” To be sure, adults aged 65 and older “drowned more frequently than any other age group.”

Between 2011 and 2013, 38 adults within the 65 and up age group suffered fatal injuries in a drowning accident. When we compare that with the number of young kids who died, we can see that only 11 children under the age of 5 years old suffered similarly fatal drowning injuries. In total, 105 people drowned in Orange County between 2011 and 2013. Of those victims, 90 were adults and 15 were children.

Where do these drowning accidents occur? In short, they happen anywhere that water is present, including the ocean, lakes, swimming pools, spa whirlpools, and even bathtubs. In response to the number of elderly drowning deaths, the Orange County Fire Department has attempted to step up its water safety awareness programs, and it’s hoping to aim those programs toward older adults in Southern California.

Why are elderly Californians more likely to drown than persons in other age groups? According to the data in the county report, there are a number of “incremental factors ranging from medical emergencies such as heart attacks to intoxication by alcohol or drugs.” While we cannot always know whether someone will suffer an emergency while they’re in a body of water, emergency medical responders emphasize that there’s “one thing that can mean the difference between life and death: whether someone in the water is alone or accompanied.”

Water Emergencies Happen, and You Shouldn’t Be Alone

To be sure, drownings happen to adults who know how to swim. And they’re often fatal because the adult was in the water by herself or himself. We often emphasize the “buddy system” to our kids when we talk about water safety. Yet the buddy system isn’t just for young children. Even adults who consider themselves to be experienced swimmers shouldn’t go into the water alone.

Since January, Orange County has seen six water-related deaths and four near-drowning incidents. Of those reported, five of the accidents included adults over the age of 50. Data from San Diego County shows that more than 30 drowning deaths tend to occur each year. To be sure, in 2009, 34 people drowned in San Diego County. While that number showed an increase from the previous two years, it doesn’t appear to be an anomaly. In 2004, for instance, the county reported 41 water-related deaths.

Drowning is a common cause of unintentional deaths in Southern California. As we near summertime, it’s important to think about water safety and taking responsibility for young children and older adults who may frequent the pool or the ocean. In the meantime, if you or someone you love drowned, you should contact an experienced San Diego drowning accident lawyer about your case.

Photo Credit: Doug’s Graphics via Compfight cc See Related Blog Posts: Fatal Nighttime Diving Accidents Six Children Suffer Near-Drowning Accidents Over a Two Day Span

Deadly Diving Accident Near Catalina

According to a recent article in CBS’s KUTV2, a vacationing physician was recently identified as the victim of a deadly diving accident off the coast of Orange County. The victim, Jared Royer, 40, was on a lobster-diving vacation with a group of other physicians. Royer’s brother-in-law indicated that it was an annual trip, and Royer “was an experienced diver who had been on several similar trips with his colleagues in previous years,” according to a report in The Spectrum. The group was diving in Emerald Bay late in the evening, and around 11p.m., the other physicians noticed that Royer had not returned to the boat.

Royer was an anesthesiologist, and he worked in the operating room and birthing center at a Southern Utah hospital. In addition to his work and prior diving experience, he was an “accomplished triathlete” who had also run the Boston Marathon.

What happened off the coast of Orange County, then? While autopsy results are pending, early indications suggest that Royer “may have run out of air and made a rapid ascent.” The accident happened on the third day of Royer’s dive, and according to the other physicians in the group, he was in about 110 feet of water at the time of the incident.

Royer made it to the surface and called for help, but the other divers could not locate him afterward. After nearly 70 hours in which search and rescue officials from Los Angeles County attempted to locate him, including the Los Angeles County Fire Department dive team, divers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard, Royer’s body was found nearly 100 feet underwater at around 11:30a.m.

Diving Accident Trend in Southern California

Since lobster season began on September 27th, Southern California has experienced a striking number of diving-related deaths. While diving fatalities are more common among inexperienced divers or those with existing medical conditions, these dangerous accidents can happen to anyone.

As of October 2nd, five deaths were already been reported, according to Fox 5 San Diego. Four of those deaths occurred at night during lobster-diving excursions, and one of the deaths resulted from a diver’s medical complications. Royer was the fifth fatality reported in just about a week’s time.

What are the primary causes of diving fatalities? According to statistics from the Diver’s Alert Network (DAN), the following represent the top three causes of death resulting from diving accidents:

• A pre-existing medical condition in the diver (such as a disease or other pathology);
• Poor buoyancy control;
• Rapid ascent or violent movement in the water.

While the overall risk of death during scuba diving is low (only 1 in every 211,000 divers suffers a fatal injury, according to the DAN), nighttime diving in Southern California can prove deadly. If you lost a loved one in a diving accident, do not hesitate to contact an experienced San Diego wrongful death lawyer. You may qualify for compensation.

Photo Credit: heirbornstud via morgueFile See Related Blog Posts: Boating Race Accident Fatality Six Children Suffer Near-Drowning Accidents Over a Two-Day Span