12/08/2009
Dallas, TX-This year has proved to be the deadliest year for child drownings in Texas. On Sunday, November 29, 2009, the 105th child passed away this year from a drowning-related accident. Top Dallas, Texas personal injury lawyer, Amy K. Witherite, urges parents to take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from such tragic accidents.
The Houston Chronicle reported a 2-year-old Houston toddler, Joseph Enriquez, strayed away from a lunch barbeque hosted by the company his father works for as a mechanic, when the tragic accident occurred. After a frantic and desperate search the boy was found facedown in a 5-½ inch puddle of water. Enriquez’s unfortunate death was the 105th fatality involving a child drowning in the state of Texas- the highest number of deaths since the state began documenting deaths in 2005. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/ released a set of guidelines designed to prevent your family from encountering such tragic and often fatal accidents:
• Always have a responsible adult supervising young children who are in the bath, swimming, or playing near water.
• The supervising adult should never engage in other distracting behavior while watching the children, like reading, talking on the phone, or mowing the grass.
• Use the buddy system. Never swim alone, and have a lifeguard present, if possible.
• Parents should teach their kids how to swim, and/or enroll them in swimming classes.
• Air-filled toys or foam toys should never be used as a form of a life jacket, like “water wings” or “noodles.” These toys were not designed to keep swimmers safe.
• Install a four-sided pool isolation fence, which completely surrounds the pool and separates the house and the play area from the pool.
• Always remove pool toys from the pool after use. The toys will entice young children to go near the pool, and possibly fall in.
Leading personal injury attorney, Amy Witherite, states by following necessary precautions and preventions you and your loved ones can potentially avoid fatal and life-altering drownings. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed by another person’s negligence, failure to provide a safe pool environment and lack of prevention of such tragic water-related accidents, you maybe entitled to damages you deserve. Contacting a Texas personal injury attorney who is experienced in litigating premises liability and other preventable injury cases may help you and your family protect your legal rights and recover from your damages and injuries.
Texas personal injury news and education by Dallas personal injury lawyer Amy K. Witherite handling Texas personal injury cases.
3100 Monticello, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75205 – Toll Free: (888) 407-6669 http://www.dallastexaspersonalinjurylawyers.com/
