Injured in a Swimming Pool? Our Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help.
On a hot day, there’s nothing that can relax and comfort quite like swimming. Having an inground or above-ground pool in your yard makes it easy to dive in.
But swimming accidents and injuries are far too common, and they can be difficult to prevent. In fact, the American Red Cross says 69% of children who die by drowning weren’t even expected to be near water.
Want to talk to an attorney about a swimming pool injury?
Before installing a swimming pool or hot tub, make sure you’re up to speed on the safety risks and premise liability concerns associated with pool ownership so you can take preventive measures to ensure your home is safe for your family and friends.
How Can I Make My Swimming Pool Safer?
Owners and managers of swimming pools and hot tubs have certain obligations to ensure that reasonable steps are taken to ensure that their pool is safe to use.
Some steps to help make your swimming pool or hot tub safer include:
- Install 4-sided fences around the edge of a pool
- Make sure the fence has latching gates that are out of reach of small children
- Put secondary measures such as a lockable cover or locks with alarms on any door that goes to the pool so no one can go unexpectedly
- Make sure the pool is clean and free from dangerous bacteria
- Ensure guests aren’t served enough alcohol to become excessively intoxicated
- Check to see that the pool and pool deck are properly maintained
- Make sure there is sufficient supervision for children
- Place warning signs in easily observable areas
Injuries resulting from a failure to enforce measures such as these may create a cause of action against the owner or manager of the pool.
Swimming Safely
There are lots of ways to make sure the pool itself is safe, but what about the people actually swimming in the pool. One of the best preventative measures to take is to make sure people are being safe in the pool itself.
Swimming Lessons Prevent Water Accidents and Injuries
There are lots of ways to make sure the pool itself is safe, but what about the people actually swimming in the pool? Swimming lessons aren’t just for kids. Adults are just as vulnerable if they haven’t learned how to swim.
Real Talk About Drowning in a Swimming Pool
The scariest topic when it comes to swimming is drowning. But, knowledge is always power. Helping children understand that water can be dangerous if not taken seriously is a major step to make sure they are behaving properly around the pool, even when they aren’t swimming.
Create a Swimming Pool Safety Rule: No One Swims Alone
Another useful technique to make sure your pool is safe is to enforce the rule that no one swims alone. If children are going to use the pool, make sure they have a swimming buddy. But even for adults, swimming alone can lead to unforeseen accidents without anyone around to help.
Lifeguards and Water Watchers Make Swimming Pools Safer
If you can’t get a buddy to swim, at least make sure there is a water watcher and if possible, have a lifeguard on duty. If you are going to a public pool, before getting into the water, check to see if a lifeguard is on duty.
Want to talk to an attorney about a swimming pool injury?
How Do I Make Sure People Are Diving Into My Pool Safely?
Nearly 26,000 patients are treated in U.S. hospitals for diving-related injuries every year. Not everyone knows how to dive, but between diving board and naturals, lots of people love to dive in to swimming pools. However, jumping into anything headfirst comes with risk. How do you make sure you are diving in safely?
First things first, know the depth of your pool. Some pools don’t have a “deep end,” so diving of any kind in any location is dangerous. If your pool isn’t deep enough for diving, don’t allow it. Many types of pools have one end of the pool where it is okay, in which case, make sure you have signs pointing out which side is the “deep end”.
In addition, “NO DIVING” signs must be placed at regular intervals around the pool in locations where it is too shallow to dive, along with signs showing how deep the water is in different locations. If you don’t take these precautions and someone gets hurt because they didn’t know how deep the water was creates a valid cause of action against the owner or manager of the pool.
What Are Common Injuries at a Swimming Pool?
Whether you are at your own indoor pool, a friend’s outdoor pool, your neighbor’s above ground pool or even a public pool, there are many potential injuries to be wary of. Here is a list of some of the ways you could end up needing a personal injury lawyer for your day poolside.
- Slipping. Water can make the entire area around the edge of the pool slippery, and even falling while walking I the shallow end of the pool.
- Falling. With pools having features like diving boards and slides, the concept of falling isn’t hard to believe. Not to mention falling awkwardly or hitting yourself on the edge of the pool.
- Entering or exiting the pool. Depending on the pool, there can be ladders, stairs or other ways to get into or out of a pool. If entering or exiting isn’t safe it is easy to hurt yourself.
- Water quality. Bacteria can grow in the water, which can lead to sickness if pool water isn’t properly maintained. In addition, sickness can also occur if the chemicals are put in at too high a concentration.
- Intoxication. Overserving alcohol to guests of a pool is one way that accidents can happen. Make sure if you are hosting guests that they aren’t being irresponsible with alcohol consumption.
- Unsafe use of pool toys or accessories. Make sure any toys or accessories added to make the day more fun are being used properly and not in a way that could lead to injury.
- Sharp objects. With people walking around with bare feet or sandals, it is important to make sure no one is at risk of stepping on sharp objects like broken glass. In addition, make sure objects like this stay out of the pool.
If Someone Is Injured at My Swimming Pool, Who Is At Fault?
Whether at a private home, public pool or private club, if there is an injury due to the owner or management of the pool’s negligence then the injured party may have the right to pursue a claim or lawsuit for the recovery of damages.
What are Damages with a Swimming Pool Accident?
There are several types of damages that could be claimed with a swimming pool injury, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Past and future loss of income, pain, and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
In addition, there may also be claims available to the spouse or family members of the injured party if the injury has impacted the lives of the family. It doesn’t matter if the injury is as minor as a laceration or sprained ankle or as serious as paralysis, traumatic brain injury or death.
Injured in a Swimming Pool? Keches Law Group Can Help.
Our respected and experienced personal injury lawyers are here to help if you or a loved one was in a pool-based accident, whether in or around a swimming pool. It doesn’t matter if it was at someone’s house, a public pool, an indoor or outdoor pool at a hotel, or a private club. Let our personal injury attorneys walk you through the process of filing a claim or lawsuit.
Calling a personal injury lawyer will also help you preserve evidence that may prove useful in your case.
