Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
In Hollywood and across South Florida, children have access to a lot of water recreation. There are pools, waterways, and beaches to play in and many Floridians love taking to the water when the weather is warm (which is most of the year). The state has many waterways and because of the mild weather many homes have pools.
While all that water can be fun, it does present the risk of water-related injury. Children, however, are especially vulnerable to water injury and drowning in Hollywood and across the region. They may still be developing their swimming skills and they may not fully understand the dangers of water. If you have children, there are several things you can do to keep your kids safer in and around water:
1) Teach your children to swim early.
Early swimming classes can help your children become better swimmers and can help teach them about water safety. Many communities and schools have swimming classes for children and even toddlers.
2) Teach your child water safety.
Swimming classes aren’t enough. You also need to teach your children how to respect the water and to avoid swimming without supervision. Explain to children the dangers of water – in age-appropriate ways – and encourage them to go swimming only when others are nearby.
3) Practice good water supervision.
Even if you teach your children to swim and teach them good water safety, keep in mind that young children, especially, are curious about the water and may forget what they’ve been taught about safety. Children can wander off, so good supervision in any area where water is present is important.
4) Secure pool areas.
If you have a pool, you need to secure it properly. Each year, tragic accidents and premises liability lawsuits in Hollywood and across South Florida occur because children have wandered onto someone’s property and entered the pool area. If you have a pool, install a fence, self-locking gate, and other precautions to keep children in your area safe. An alarm system to alert you when someone enters the pool area is also a good investment.
5) Use caution in the bathroom.
Children don’t need a pool to be injured by the water. A few inches of water is all that’s necessary for a child to drown, so use caution during bath time and never leave a young child unattended in the bath.
6) Practice good boating safety.
Floridians love boating, but for children boating presents unique challenges. Never allow your child to get on a boat with someone who doesn’t have safety training. Insist that your child wear a properly-fitted life vest and supervise your child closely to ensure they don’t lean over the edge of the boat.
If your child has been injured due to someone’s negligence, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation. The members of our family-based law firm believe strongly in the safety of South Florida’s families and from our offices in Homestead, Hollywood, Miami we fight aggressively for family rights. Contact us for a free accident consultation so we can discuss whether you have a claim – how much that claim may be worth.