Summertime in Georgia will often revolve around swimming, grilling, fireworks, skating or biking, and other outdoor activities. While enjoying the water and the great outdoors can be fun for the whole family, summertime is also associated with a number of serious accidents. Summer accidents can include bike accidents, grilling burns, drowning, boating accidents, and much more. This season is considered “trauma season” for hospitals, as the number of accidental injuries rises during the warm weather months, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. While some accidents are the result of pure bad luck, many other accidents are caused by the negligence of another person or party. The following is an overview of some common summer accidents and how you can avoid them, as well as what you should do in the event you or a child is injured this summer.

Drowning and Pool Accidents

Swimming in a pool is one of America’s favorite summer pastimes, and with the heat of the summer in Georgia, people swarm to pools. While nothing is quite so refreshing as jumping into the pool on a hot day, pools can pose a major threat, especially to young children. Kids are naturally drawn to pools, and without adequate protection, can easily become injured or even drown. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 4,000 people tragically die from drowning each year. Drowning kills more children ages one through four than any other cause except congenital anomalies. For those under the age of 29, drowning is among the top three causes of unintentional death. On top of the alarming number of drowning deaths, another approximately 5,800 individuals are rushed to the emergency room with nonfatal drowning injuries.

Nearly all pool accidents are preventable, making it vitally important that pool owners and public pools employ necessary safety measures to save lives. Most drowning deaths occur due to the following, among others:

  • Failure to install self-latching gates, allowing young children to enter the pool area unattended;
  • Failure to provide lifeguards or to adequately warn parents and children that no lifeguard is on duty;
  • Overcrowded pools that prevent others from noticing a drowning child;
  • Improper or ineffective fencing that does not properly seal the pool area from children; and
  • Unclear depth markers, resulting in children who cannot swim leaving shallow areas.

Summer Camp Accidents

During the summertime, many children will be sent to summer camps. While most camps operate safely and allow children to enjoy time in nature, away from home, other camps may cut corners which can reduce safety. A lack of supervision, improperly maintained facilities, and young or poorly trained staff can all result in injury to your child. Scout your potential camp carefully and contact an attorney if your child is injured at summer camp so that he or she can preserve evidence and advise on the next course of action.

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Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/drown-activities.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2014/05/09/Hospital-fun-in-the-summertime-Summertime-means-weathering-more-injuries/stories/201405090080