Our swimming pool attorney was saddened to hear the ABC News report that six year old Jasmin Brown drowned recently in an apartment complex pool on Oakmoor Parkway in Houston, Texas.  An adult neighbor who was also at the pool reported noticing the little girl not moving under the water.  The neighbor jumped into the pool and was able to bring Brown’s lifeless body out of the pool.   Another adult neighbor immediately began CPR on Brown, who was already blue and lacked a pulse, before the arrival of emergency responders.  According to the Houston Chronicle Brown was transported to the Houston Children’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead.  The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences later ruled that Brown’s death was an accident.

Brown had been part of a children’s birthday party at the apartment complex swimming pool on the evening that she drowned.  She had been swimming with several other children and many adults were present, including several of her family members.  One little girl who was an attendee at the party said that she saw Brown jump into the deepest part of the apartment complex pool, which measured five feet deep.   The other children noticed that Brown had been under the water for five to ten minutes before the adult neighbor found her.  When she didn’t surface the children thought she was just holding her breath.  Sadly, it later turned out that Brown did not know how to swim.    

While it may surprise some people that a young girl was able to drown while surrounded by so many people, our Texas swimming pool accident lawyer knows that these sorts of happen on a frequent basis.  Our attorney often explains to community members that an overcrowded pool can actually pose an increased risk to users than a pool with fewer users.  With too many people in a pool it can be difficult for those at the pool to notice a swimmer that is struggling.  Even if a lifeguard is on duty the amount of people and splashing can still make it hard to spot. 

Another danger often seen in apartment swimming pool accidents is improper and inadequate maintenance.  Apartment complex owners, managers of the facility, and pool maintenance companies may all be held liable for part of the harm in the case of an accident if they did not act reasonably. The law has built in specific rules which allow for all those who contribute to an accident to be held fully or partially responsible for the consequences of their actions.  Often there are a variety of people that may be at least partially responsible for the circumstances that lead to the accident.  Our drowning accident attorney can help determine who can be held responsible.

Jesse Guerra Jr., our Houston pool attorney, has worked with many victims harmed in these types of apartment swimming pool accidents. Our firm is well versed in understanding all of the legal issues related to these awful events and the steps required to provide accountability to victims. If you or someone you know has been involved in a drowning or near-drowning, please contact our office to learn more about how we can help you.

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