Pool Drain Hazards

The backyard pool, while it is a site of numerous hours of family fun, can be a dangerous place with hazards seen and unseen. The vast majority of people recognize the potential for drowning accidents around pools due to not being able to swim or to rough housing. What many people don’t recognize are the drowning risks that improperly covered pool drains pose.

Pool drain accidents do not occur at an alarmingly high frequency but, between January of 1990 and August of 2004, there were 25 reported incidents of drowning due to a pool or spa drain. While this does not seem high, these are largely preventable accidents.

The two main problems associated with pool drains are body entrapment and hair entrapment. Body entrapment occurs when the body gets stuck in the drain due to the suction of the pool circulation pump. When a limb gets caught in the drain, it then swells. Once the limb swells, it becomes nearly impossible for the caught person to free him or herself.

Hair entrapment also involves an individual getting caught at the drain and not being able to free him or herself. This time, the cause is that the individual’s hair gets caught in the drain and then tangled due to the suction of the pump. Individuals with long, fine hair are most at risk for this injury.

The median age for all entrapment deaths is 9 years old but both types of risk affect people of all ages. The majority of the victims are between 8 and 16 years in both cases.

If you have been injured due to an uncovered or improperly covered pool drain, contact the Lake Geneva swimming pool injury lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier at 1-800-559-5599 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.