Swimming pools may seem like the best place to spend a hot summer day. They can be, but they can also be a highly risky situation. In some situations, accidents happen that could not be prevented. Mistakes occur. In other situations, someone’s negligence can lead to your loss. Since swimming pool accidents can be deadly, it’s important for all pool owners to take steps to reduce risks to those who use the pool as well as the community.
How Dangerous Are Swimming Pools?
Anyone who invests in a pool needs to realize the risks and responsibilities of owning them. Pools are dangerous for several reasons. They pose a risk to those using the pool but also to people (especially children or the elderly) and animals within the community.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that, on average, 3,536 people die each year as a result of an unintentional drowning in swimming pools from 2005 through 2014. Of those people, 1 in 5 is a child under the age of 14. What’s more, about half of all people who are in drowning accidents and end up in the emergency room require hospitalization. Long-term complications include severe brain damage that create long-term disabilities. These include learning disabilities, permanent loss of function, and memory problems.
What Types of Swimming Pool Accidents Can Occur?
Drowning is one of the types of accidents that can occur, of course, but swimming pools present other risks as well. These include accidents such as the following:
- Slips and falls near the pool, especially on uneven or wet floors
- Near-drowning
- Injuries resulting from the diving board
- Unsafe pool parts or accessories
- Traumatic brain injuries resulting from inability to breathe, falls, or other injuries
- Intestinal injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Breathing problems that continue long term
As you can see, pools present a risk to all people who use them or are around them. Of course, individuals who get into a pool should know how to swim. They should also be given safe equipment and have the expectation that the pool is properly maintained to minimize risks. Unfortunately, this does not always happen.
What Causes These Accidents and When Do You Have a Case?
When you see your swimming pool negligence attorney at our office, we’ll ask you for details about what happened, when it happened, and the circumstances involved in your accident. In many situations, negligence is at the heart of the accidents that occur. Property owners or those responsible for the pool may have not taken proper care of the pool or exposed others to risks.
In addition to this, there is a level of negligence that occurs due to defective pool parts. In some situations, a piece of equipment from the pool can be faulty, leading to the consequences and injuries that occur. This can be hard to prove, but in many situations, the manufacturer may be responsible.
Do You Have a Case?
The circumstances of what occurred are often going to determine if there is any negligence present. In short, you need to prove that the pool owner or management knew that the pool was unsafe, had the chance to fix it, and did not do so. That’s not always easy to do. As noted, we work hard to help you to get any compensation you may be owed, including coverage for medical bills, lost time at work, and even loss of quality of life. Yet, the details of your case will play a role in what occurs.
It is possible to file a claim with the pool owner’s insurance company, but it is never advisable to settle this type of claim without legal representation. In addition, you’ll need to know how to gather evidence for your case, how to prove negligence occurred, and how to move your settlement to court if it is necessary to do so.
If you’ve been the victim of negligence related to someone else’s unsafe pool, you may have the right to compensation for those losses. At The Law Office of Daniel J. O’Neill, our team works closely with individuals who have suffered this type of negligence and we can help you, too. Contact our team for a free case review today.