Swimming pools and water parks are an excellent way to exercise, relax, and find relief from unbearable summer heat. San Francisco has a number of public pools, rec centers, parks, and other aquatic attractions for local and visitors alike to enjoy. Sadly, the risk of serious injury or even death is present at any swimming facility.
Slip and falls, near drowning accidents, and death can occur when negligent pool operators do not follow the law or their legal duty to provide a safe environment. In these situations, drowning accident victims or their surviving family members may need to retain an experienced San Francisco drowning attorney to help investigate the cause of the accident.
Types of drowning injuries
The aftermath of drowning or a near-drowning event can result in many different types of injuries. While drowning fatalities are indeed tragic, even near-drowning injuries can result in devastating consequences to the victim.
Near-drowning injuries include:
- Brain hypoxia: Caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. In near-drowning accidents, catastrophic accidents may occur. Symptoms include memory loss, debilitated motor skills, and difficulty retain information. Serious hypoxic injuries can result include coma or death.
- Brain Ischemia: Also known as cerebral ischemia, ischemia results from insufficient blood flow to the brain. Symptoms of ischemia include seizures, swelling of the brain and impaired brain function. Severe instances of brain ischemia may result in coma or death.
Drowning accident victims may need long-term care and supervision to survive, resulting in emotional strain of the victim’s household and expensive medical bills. Left in a debilitated state and without income, drowning victims may suffer a terrible quality of life.
San Francisco swimming pool laws
To prevent catastrophic drowning events from occurring, the state of California and the city of San Francisco both have laws regulating safety features of swimming pools. Many of these ordinances are aimed to protect vulnerable children, who if left unsupervised may suffer terrible injuries.
Some important San Francisco swimming pool laws include:
- Self-closing, self-latching gates
- 5 ft high barriers
- 2 inches or less of space between pool deck and bottom of fence
- 4 inches or less between vertical partitions in barriers
- 4 feet or less between horizontal partitions in barriers
- Ladders at areas 4.5 feet or deeper
- Hand rails must be between 28 – 36 inches high
- Max shallow depth of 3.5 feet
- 4 feet of slip resistant concrete completely surrounding pool
San Francisco drowning accident attorneys
If you or a loved one suffered the unfortunate tragedy of a drowning or near-drowning accident, you should strongly consider speaking to a qualified San Francisco drowning accident attorney. Lawyers can help families investigate the causes of accidents and determine if any lapses in state or local laws may have contributed to the accident.
Filing a drowning accident lawsuit against negligent pool owners and operators can help victims recover the compensation they need to provide for their medical expenses and personal care. Victims should be aware there are strict time deadlines apply to filing San Francisco drowning accident lawsuits so it is strongly advised they contact an attorney at their earliest convenience to discuss their case.