Drowning Demanding accountability from those at fault

Mississippi Drowning Attorney

Handling Drowning & Near-Drowning cases in Jackson, Ridgeland & Madison County

Drowning and near-drowning accidents strike without warning, turning a day at the pool or a quiet afternoon on the Barnett Reservoir into a life-altering tragedy. Whether the victim is a child who slipped through a broken gate or an adult pulled under by an unexpected current in the Pearl River, T. Mark Sledge, Attorney at Law stands ready to hold negligent property owners, managers, and operators accountable for their negligence or wrongdoing.

Former Circuit Court Judge Mark Sledge has spent decades untangling complex premises liability cases and fighting for families whose futures were forever changed by preventable water injuries. It's time to find out how our firm can help you find answers and move forward.

To learn more about your rights and options, contact Mississippi drowning lawyer Mark Sledge today. Your consultation is free and private.

How We Build a Drowning Injury Case

From the moment we’re hired, we secure evidence before it disappears: surveillance footage, maintenance logs, chemical test records, witness statements, and 911 audio. We inspect fencing, photograph depth markers, and, when needed, bring in specialists to reconstruct what went wrong. Mark Sledge’s judicial experience allows us to anticipate every defense tactic—blaming the victim’s swimming ability, claiming “open and obvious danger,” or shifting fault to a third party—and counter with clear, persuasive proof of negligence.

Call T. Mark Sledge, Attorney at Law at (601) 768-2165 or contact us online for a free consultation with a Mississippi drowning injury lawyer.

Where & Why Drowning Happens Around Ridgeland, MS

Ridgeland’s landscape blends backyard pools, apartment complex spas, hotel water features, and natural attractions like the 33,000-acre Ross Barnett Reservoir.

Each setting presents distinct hazards:

Residential & Apartment Swimming Pools: Missing or defective drain covers can cause entrapment, and faulty gate latches or the absence of a self-closing, self-latching fence can allow young children to reach the water unsupervised.
Public & Hotel Pools/Spas: Cloudy water can hide a distressed swimmer, inattentive lifeguards may not provide life-saving help on time, or chemical mismanagement can lead to toxic exposure in any pool or spa.
Natural Bodies of Water: Sudden drop-offs, submerged stumps, boating wakes, and shifting currents can contribute to serious injuries and drowning incidents at the Ross Barnett Reservoir and other natural bodies of water in the Madison County area.
Ditches & Retention Ponds: After a heavy rain, drainage areas around Ridgeland may entice curious children. Under Mississippi’s attractive nuisance doctrine, landowners must secure features that pose an obvious lure to children.

Mississippi logs a drowning death rate of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, about 41% higher than the national average. Nationally, the CDC reports more than 4,500 drowning deaths per year (2020-2022)—an average of 12 lives lost each day.

Legal Responsibility for Drowning in Mississippi

When it comes to swimming pools, spas, and other bodies of water, property owners and operators owe visitors a duty of reasonable care.

In practical terms, that means:

Fences, gates, pool rule signage, depth markers, and lighting must meet code.
Commercial pools must provide properly trained lifeguards when required by local ordinance or company policy.
Owners must monitor chlorine and pH to prevent injuries and “dry drowning” events linked to chemical inhalation.
Ladders, handrails, drains, pumps, lighting, and other equipment must be properly maintained and repaired or replaced when necessary.

When the victim is a child, Mississippi courts often apply the attractive nuisance doctrine: if an owner knows (or should know) that a dangerous condition will likely entice children, the owner can be liable even if the child was on the property without the owner’s invitation, consent, or knowledge.

Liability may extend to lifeguard contractors, pool service companies, homeowners’ associations, or event organizers for basic water safety failures.

Damages in Drowning & Near-Drowning Cases

Survivors of near-drowning often suffer hypoxic brain injury, cognitive deficits, and permanent mobility challenges that require lifelong care. Families may pursue compensation for emergency care, future medical treatment, rehabilitation, assistive devices, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, pain, suffering, and emotional distress. A wrongful death lawsuit may be filed by a family after a fatal drowning, which may also pursue damages for funeral costs and loss of companionship.

Our team works with neurologists, life-care planners, and economists to calculate the full financial picture—then confronts insurers and corporate defendants with numbers backed by evidence they simply can’t ignore.

$44,500,000 Offshore Oil Rig Injury
$10,000,000 Accident on Drilling Ship
$8,000,000 18-Wheeler Accident

From Circuit Court Judge to Personal Injury Advocate Driven to Make a Real Difference for You

For over 15 years, Mark has actively represented plaintiffs in major mass tort cases, including breast implant and phen-phen litigation, leading successful drug litigation such as Parlodel, Duract, and Stadol, securing strong recoveries for his clients. From Circuit Court Judge to Personal Injury Advocate — Driven to Make a Real Difference for You

CONNECT WITH MARK TODAY

Standing Up For Folks LIke You

We don’t back down—and neither should you

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