Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act

Legally Required Safety Measures to Prevent Drowning Accidents

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act was signed into law on December 19, 2007 and became effective the following year. As the name suggests, the law works to improve safety standards in regards to pools and spas throughout the country. Unfortunately, the Act was a result of a tragic pool accident that occurred to 7-year-old Virginia Graeme Baker.

Her family called her Graeme. She was an accomplished swimmer, even at the age of seven, as she was a member of both her community’s swim team and diving team. in June of 2002, she became stuck in the drain of a hot tub. She was unable to pull herself away, even with her mother’s assistance. Two men then tried to help, and their efforts resulted in the drain cover breaking off due to the amount of force they had to apply to extract Graeme. Unfortunately, they were too late and Graeme died as a result of drowning. However, the true cause of death was suction entrapment caused by the faulty drain cover in the hot tub.

Graeme was the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker III. Following Graeme’s death, her mother, Nancy Baker, worked to get a pool and safety bill passed that would require anti-entrapment drain covers and similar safety devices to be necessary at public pools and spas. The Virginia Graeme Pool and Safety Act was the result of her efforts.

The findings of the Virginia Graeme Baker Act are sobering (SEC. 1402: FINDINGS):

• Of injury-related deaths, drowning is the second leading cause of death in children aged 1 to 14 in the United States.
• In 2004, 761 children aged 14 and under died as a result of unintentional drowning.
• Adult supervision at all aquatic venues is a critical safety factor in preventing children from drowning.
• Research studies show that the installation and proper use of barriers or fencing, as well as additional layers of protection, could substantially reduce the number of childhood residential swimming pool drownings and near drownings.

At its most essential, the Act requires all public pools and spas to have ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007 compliant drain covers installed and a second anti-entrapment system installed if there is only a single main drain other than an unblockable drain. If a public pool, a school pool, a hotel pool, or a hot tub or spa located at these places does not have the proper type of anti-entrapment drain covers installed, they could be in violation of federal law. Furthermore, these types of pools and spas could cause severe physical harm or even loss of life.

Dallas Pool Accident Lawyer Michael Grossman Can Help

If you or your child have been injured as a result of a faulty drain cover in a pool or spa, you may be able to seek compensation for your injury through a personal injury lawsuit. If you have lost a loved one due to entrapment, entanglement, or evisceration caused by a faulty drain cover or other faulty pool equipment, you may be able to seek compensation for your loss through a wrongful death lawsuit. However, while seeking compensation sends a clear message to the liable party that they are being held financially accountable for the injury or loss of life that they contributed to, we will also work alongside you to ensure that the liable party is also brought to justice so that a similar accident does not have to cause harm or loss to another person or family in the future.

If you have reason to believe that a bad suction outlet, faulty drain cover, or broken pool equipment may have contributed to your injury or loss, contact the Dallas pool accident lawyers at Grossman Law Offices at 1-855-326-0000 for a toll-free consultation where you can ask further questions regarding the specifics of your pool accident case. With two decades of experience in helping victims and their families, Dallas pool accident lawyer Michael Grossman can help you through this difficult time so that compensation can be sought and justice pursued.