Swimming Pools generally bring an image of joy and relaxation and we hope that you never associate them with the trauma that can come with a swimming pool accident. Unfortunately, statistics tell us that things may not be as simple as they seem at first glance. Swimming Pool accidents are among the leading causes of death and life-changing injuries and seem to be often overlooked if we compare the figures with a topic road crashes and auto accidents. In this article, we discuss some common causes of swimming pool accidents and explain what you need to do after suffering an injury in such an accident. You can also find out where to find an experienced swimming pool accident lawyer if you want to file a case to get compensated.
Swimming Pool Accident Statistics
According to the available statistics, more than 60,000 people are injured in the U.S. alone each year due to swimming pool accidents. A disproportionate number includes children between the ages of 14 and 9 who are often the primary victims of swimming pool accidents.
Each year more than 5,000 children aged under nine drown due to a swimming pool accident while almost 3,000 children are treated for severe injuries due to swimming pool related accidents. In 1 out of 4 fatal drowning incidents, the victim is usually a child aged less than 14.
Common Causes of Swimming Pool Accidents
Negligent Supervision
Negligent Supervision is often the most common cause of swimming pool accidents. Swimming pool owners/operators have a statutory duty to provide adequate supervision to swimmers. This applies to both the public swimming pools and private swimming pools.
For example, if a swimming pool owner invites the children in his neighborhood to swim in his private swimming pool and a child drowns while swimming and the owner neither has lifesaving experience nor is he trained as a swim rescuer, then he may be held liable for negligent supervision as owners are expected to meet the duty of care which in this case, he fails to satisfy.
Negligence Per Se
Negligence per se is also known as a strict liability which means that a pool owner who violates any law related to pool safety or maintenance can be held accountable for any accident which may occur due to such violation of the law. Pool owners are required by law to:
- Erect a barrier of a certain height such as a fence surrounding the pool
- The fence should not have any gaps, damages, or openings
- The fence must have a lockable gate
- The pool must have entrance and exit tools such as stairs and ladders
- The pool must also have warning signs such as “do not dive” at certain areas
- There must be functional and safe pool lighting systems
- At a public pool, a certain number of staffed lifeguards must be present at the pool
Premises Liability
Premises liability refers to the situation when a pool owner fails to provide a safe environment but doesn’t violate any law. A pool owner can be held liable for any accident which may occur due to the unsafe environment.
Hire a Reliable Swimming Pool Accident Lawyer at SP Justice
If you or your loved one has been a victim of a swimming pool accident and you want to file a case to get a compensation, you should get the help of an experienced Swimming Pool Accident Lawyer. Contact us here at SP Justice as we have the experience in helping several victims of swimming pool accidents in getting fair compensation for the injuries they suffered.