North Carolina Product Liability Lawyer & Attorney : D. Hardison Wood : Toy Safety, Child Restraint, Car Seats

A North Carolina man was killed last week after a pool side umbrella fell on top of him while he lounged near his apartment's pool. The umbrella or one of its parts appears to have pierced through his brain.

According to police the umbrella stand pierced Ward's head like an ice pick. "Doctors say the umbrella traveled through the brain stem and caused his brain to swell," said Detective John Keel with the Leland Police.

It has been reported that the apartment complex has removed the umbrellas and has replaced them with a safer design. Which of course begs the question, why are the "unsafer" types of umbrellas out there considering the likelihood they will topple over quite high?

Read the entire story here.

 

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Awhile ago we had blogged about pool drains and the serious safety issues involving the drains and children. There are new safety standards regarding these drains. According to an article today, the president, David Lionetti, of Shoreline Pools in Connecticut has been charged with manslaughter after a 6 year-old boy drowned following being sucked into the drain. The police state that he:

"recklessly caused the death" of Zachary Cohn by failing to have his company install mandated safety devices in the pool the company built for the boy's family. Police alleged the safety devices would have prevented the boy's death.

In addition, the child's family has filed their own civil suit, alleges that

the pool violated safety code requirements designed in response to the rash of similar cases around the country.

The article can be read here. Pool drains can be a serious hazard. If you have been adversely affected and would like to speak about your matter, please do not hesitate to contact our firm.

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I was recently watching a television segment on the news regarding pool and spa drains. The story discussed how children can become entrapped in the drains, causing their intestines to essentially be sucked out due to the force of the drains. It is absolutely shocking the enormous injuries these old-styled drains can cause and the enormous strength they have.

Tje CPSC released a report and statement on May 21, 2008.

A new federal pool and spa safety law was signed by the President on December 19, 2007. The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act requires that by December 19, 2008, all public pools and spas have safety drain covers, and in certain circumstances, an anti-entrapment system. The goal of the law is to improve the safety of all pools and spas by increasing the use of layers of protection and promoting uninterrupted supervision to prevent child drownings and entrapments.

The entire report may be read here.

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