According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about ten people die each day from accidental drowning and two of those ten are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury for people of all ages. But, for children ages 1 to 14, it is the second leading cause of death.
Even if you survive, near-drowning accidents can be life-altering. More than 55% of drowning victims treated in emergency rooms had to be transferred for higher levels of care due to the severity of their injuries. This percentage is even more astounding when compared to a hospitalization rate of 3-5% for other unintentional injuries. Near-drowning accidents can cause the victim to be deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time. The result can be brain injuries which result in long-term disabilities including memory problems, loss of physical functioning, learning disabilities, etc.
Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. And, males represent nearly 80% of drowning victims. African-Americans, American Indians and Alaskan Natives are also high-risk populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributes higher drowning rates in these populations to physical environment issues (such as access to swimming pools) and social and cultural issues (such as wanting to learn to swim and choosing water-based recreational activities).
The main factors which influence drowning risk are:
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a drowning or near-drowning accident, do not be just a statistic. Our Tennessee drowning attorneys will hold the at-fault persons responsible, recover the compensation you and your family deserve and hopefully prevent similar accidents in the future by bringing awareness to the issue.
Contact one of our experienced Tennessee drowning attorneys today and let us fight for your rights. Call 615-742-2880 or toll-free at 866.812.8787 for a free, no-obligation consultation. We only get paid if we recover money for you and we advance all case expenses so you are never out of pocket any money to pursue your drowning accident case. We have recovered more than $100 million dollars for our clients and we are here to help you too.
Other Drowning Accident Information: