2009 saw several aquatics-related lawsuits either introduced or resolved. A British Columbia, Canada man who was hit in the head with a pipe at the Cultus Lake Waterpark was awarded nearly $500,000. The injury occurred in 2003.

In Penn Hills, Pa., the widow of Ronald Daugherty sued the Olympic Swim and Health Club after her 72-year-old husband drowned there during a nudist party. The suit alleged that facility violated state law by not providing a lifeguard. This summer, the widow won a settlement of $246,000.

The parents of a 9-year-old drowning victim in Silver Springs, Md., filed a lawsuit claiming a language gap contributed to their son’s death. The area hosts hundreds of Eastern European students each year who work as lifeguards for seasonal visas, and the child’s parents say communication difficulties delayed rescue.