The Hidden Dangers of Defective Pool Drains for Children

 Posted on July 17, 2023 in Personal Injury

Children love swimming pools. This is something every parent knows. While young children may be afraid of pools in their early years, this fear is generally overcome once a child learns how to swim. Unfortunately, even if your child is an incredibly strong swimmer for their age, defective pool drain covers may still pose an extreme hazard to them. Not many parents are aware of the dangers posed by pool drains. The major risk is that the suction will cause a child to become stuck on the bottom of the pool, unable to surface. Modern pool drains come with safety features that are meant to guard against this risk. However, this safety feature may not work on broken or old pool drain covers. Depending on the situation, if your child is injured by a pool drain, you may have a claim either in products liability or in premises liability. It is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible regarding any potential claim you may have. 

How Pool Drains Pose a Drowning Risk to Children

Even if you supervise your children carefully when they are swimming, it may not be enough. Even if the area your child is swimming in has a lifeguard, this is not a guarantee of safety. When a pool drain cover is broken and defective or if the pool owner has never installed these safety features, it can create powerful suction between a child’s body and the drain. Due to the amount of force involved in this suction, it could take several full-grown adults to pry the child from the bottom of the pool. 

The pool drain is generally placed in the deep end. Older children may enjoy throwing weights to the bottom of the deep end and diving down to retrieve them. This can bring children closer to the pool drain, where they could become trapped. 

The Difference Between Modern Safety Drains and Older Unsafe Drains

Modern safety drains have a raised cover, so that even if a child comes into contact with the top, they will not become suctioned down due to the raised sides releasing pressure. Old, unsafe drains are generally flat. It is best to allow your children to swim only in pools that feature a safety drain whenever possible. Swimming pools where children are welcomed to swim should always feature a modern safety drain.

Contact a Kane County Products Liability and Premises Liability Attorney

Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C. cares about the safety of children in our community. If your child has been harmed by an unsafe pool drain, our caring Aurora products liability and premises liability lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation. For a free consultation, please call us at 630-907-0909. 

Source: 

https://thezacfoundation.org/pool-drain-safety/