Wrongful Death

 The death of a child in a preventable accident is always a sad event, and for Arizona residents who have children it should be cause for reflection on how to keep children safe and avoid similar circumstances. According to a recent news report, several days ago an Arizona family experienced an all-too-common tragedy when their 3-year-old child drowned in the swimming pool at a local residence. Although adults at the house performed CPR, and firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes after receiving the dispatch and transported the young boy to a nearby hospital, it was already too late.

It seems that the child, who along with other family members had been visiting at the home overnight, wandered away from the group and entered the nearby swimming pool. It was reported that the family group was composed largely of teenagers. Although the initial report was unclear about the exact circumstances of this drowning, it’s easy to imagine that the teenagers may have been a bit short on adult supervision, and the child may have been attracted to the pool following an earlier visit.

Unfortunately, as indicated by the fire captain who oversaw the rescue attempt, this particular pool was not protected by any sort of fence or cover. Of course, young children are especially attracted to pools, but they do not understand the dangers associated with water, and very young children typically haven’t yet been taught to swim. So, an unguarded pool without an enclosure is certainly a hazard to kids, and perhaps also to impaired or handicapped adults, too. The presence of teenagers also tends to lead to rambunctious pool-side activities.

After a tragedy

After such a tragedy, it’s important to take stock of the hazards in our everyday lives, in order to reduce the risks of repeating past mistakes. Whether an accident results in a wrongful death or a less-serious outcome, it’s important to correct the root causes of the mistake in order to avoid future tragedies.

Also, even though the personal loss of a family member can never be fully healed, it’s equally important that those responsible be held accountable for their actions leading to the injury or death of an innocent victim, whether child or adult. If left unaddressed, then the negligence, oversight, faulty equipment, bad actions or avoidable errors of those responsible may later lead to other deaths or injuries.

Following any death resulting from the actions or negligence of others, it’s important that an experienced legal professional assess the circumstances surrounding that loss, in order to help determine the causes and identify any individuals who may be responsible for the tragedy, and to seek appropriate financial compensation for the loss.

 

If you’ve lost a loved one through wrongful death anywhere in the Tucson area, you should contact Bob Barber, the leading Tucson wrongful death attorney, at 520-293-4440.