Former Secretary of State’s Granddaughter’s Drowning Prompted Legislation

Several years ago in 2002, seven year old Virginia Graeme Baker got caught in a spa intake suction drain during a school graduation party and drowned. When her twin sister ran to her mother letting her know that Virginia was trapped, the mother dived in to the spa and desperately tried to pull her free from the drain, but to no avail. Her limbs were literally being torn apart by the suction in the drain and she could not break the hold. It took two other adults to finally pry Virginia free and she died shortly after the pool accident.

Although these types of incidents are rare, they do happen. As a result of this accident, a relative who was also a politician, Virginia's grandfather and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, drafted legislation to prevent this from happening to others. The Congressional bill was passed and was titled the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.

It is a federally mandated bill that specifies protective drain covers must be placed on all commercial pools and spas including hotels, apartments and residential communities, any place where there is public access, to prevent a person from getting trapped in the drains. It is up to county health departments to enforce the law. The deadline for implementation of the drain covers was 2009. It is recommended that owners of private pools and spas do the same for safety reasons but this is not a mandate.

Competent Help is Available

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a  drowning accident in the U.S, you should seek competent legal advice from a drowning accident lawyer.  At the Doan Law Firm, we are dedicated to addressing these types of legal issues and are known for our expertise in this area. Other attorneys come to us when they need advice in the area of drowning accidents. We are dedicated to helping our clients get the compensation needed to cover medical and other expenses that may have resulted (or may result) from the spa accident.  

Contact a pool drain cover accident attorney in our office to set up a free consultation and we will go over the details of your case whether it's for a drowning or near drowning incident.