Gathering around the swimming pool with friends and family on a hot day is a time-honored way to beat the heat and enjoy the Florida sun. Indoor pools also provide an opportunity for low-impact exercise. However, it is always important to remember that swimming pools also present significant accident and injury risks.
If you and your family plan on spending time poolside, you should be aware of pool safety guidelines. If someone gets hurt because of a dangerous condition at a swimming pool, you should contact an experienced premises liability attorney for help.
Locations of Pool Accidents
Swimming pool accidents can happen at any kind of pool – from the largest public community pools to the smallest backyard pools. Even inflatable kiddie pools present a hazard. Public pools, of course, must adhere to strict regulations and pool safety codes, as most pools at hotels or resorts. Personal pools on private property also must comply with residential pool safety laws in Florida.1 In fact, the most serious swimming pool injuries tend to happen in those locations where people feel most relaxed and are therefore more likely to take the dangers of the water less seriously.
If a pool owner fails to comply with any safety requirements and an accident happens, that owner can be held liable for any injuries or losses that result.
Types of Pool Injuries
There are several kinds of accidents that are commonly associated with swimming pools, and many of these can have extremely serious and even fatal consequences:
- Slip and fall injuries that occur near and around the pool – an area that is often wet and slippery;
- Injuries incurred on the diving board;
- Limb injuries, including broken bones, cuts, and abrasions;
- Electrocution;
- Infections; and
- Near-drowning, secondary drowning or dry drowning (breathing in small amounts of water while struggling to stay afloat that can cause a pulmonary edema), and drowning.
The startling fact is that drowning rates as the second highest cause of children's fatalities and the fifth overall cause of unintentional death for all ages.2 Near-drowning events can leave a victim with long-term and life-altering consequences, such as internal organ damage and brain damage.
Pool Safety
If you're going to be spending time around a pool – any pool – this summer, arm yourself with the safety basics and stay alert:
- Don't swim in pools that are not well maintained;
- Never allow children to be anywhere near a pool that is not being monitored by a responsible adult;
- Establish and consistently enforce Pool Rules;
- Know the signs of drowning (they may not be what you think – drowning is often called a silent killer); and
- Have a well-rehearsed emergency plan.
If you or someone you care about has suffered a swimming pool injury of any kind, seek immediate medical attention and, if caused by the possible negligence of someone else, discuss what happened with an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in the Clearwater Area Today
If you or your loved one has suffered a swimming pool injury that may have been caused by someone else's negligence, do not hesitate to call Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA. We are here to help, and our experienced personal injury attorneys are skilled in fighting for and obtaining the compensation and legal justice that you deserve. Give Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA a call today at 727-451-6900 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 451-6900
1https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0515/0515.html
2https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/water-safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html