Arizona Child Drowning Deaths Down in 2010

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on November 16, 2011

As Arizona wrongful death lawyers, we were happy to hear that there were fewer child drowning deaths in 2010 than in 2009, according to a recent report from the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS). In 2009, 35 children died from drowning incidents and in 2010, 33 died. While the numbers are down, we would like to see them reach zero.

Arizona Child Drowning Statistics

According to the study, 61 percent of the children who drowned were male while 39 percent were female. Also, 69 percent were between the ages of one through four years old, 12 percent were between five and nine years old, and six percent were infants younger than one

Where Arizona Child Drowning Deaths Occur

The study shows that 19 drowning deaths in 2009 occurred in pools, seven in open water (ponds, canals, rivers, and desert washes), and three in bathtubs. There was also one incident of a child drowning in a hot tub and another in a bucket.

Arizona Child Drowning Law

There are different laws regarding Arizona child drowning accidents, including Arizona premises liability law, which requires Arizona property owners to make sure their property, including pool area, is safe and secure against the possibility of injury and death. That means that pool areas should be fenced and covered to avoid a child accidentally falling in, and that property owners must exercise reasonable care in warning children of the dangers. In Arizona, even if the child trespasses onto the property, the property owner may be responsible for injury or death under the “Attractive Nuisance Doctrine,” which states that a property owner must take precautions against children who may be lured onto their property toward a potentially dangerous situation, like open water.

How Arizona Wrongful Death Attorneys Can Help

Losing a child is a terrible tragedy, and we express our deepest condolences for families that experience the loss. One of the compelling reasons to bring a wrongful death claim for a child drowning is to make sure it does not happen to another innocent child. The team at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. has years of experience advocating for families that have lost a child to drowning. Contact them today for your free consultation at (602) 457-6222.