Swimming Pool Accident Attorney

Pool Accident Lawyer in Dallas

Swimming pool accidents are one of the most common causes of child deaths. Pools are also the location of thousands of injuries and adult deaths every year. Unfortunately, in many cases, these accidents could be avoided if not for the pool owner’s negligence.

If you or a loved one was hurt or killed in a swimming pool accident, contact the personal injury attorneys at Hernandez Law Group, P.C. These types of accidents can lead to thousands in medical bills, lost wages, and potentially funeral costs. You deserve compensation for these costs as well as your pain and suffering and other damages. Contact us today for a free consultation for your case.

What are the Legal Responsibilities of Owning a Pool?

A pool owner is legally responsible for taking certain actions to keep people in and around their pool safe. This is known as a duty of care, and the level of care that the pool owner owes depends on if they’re a residential or commercial pool owner.

In premises liability cases, visitors to a property are usually categorized as invitees or licensees. A guest at a commercial pool – such as a hotel pool – is considered an invitee. Commercial swimming pool owners are responsible for taking steps to prevent accidents from occurring. For example, a loose brick beside the pool could potentially move under a person’s foot, causing them to fall into the pool and get injured. The pool owner would be responsible for finding the loose brick in a timely manner and getting it fixed before it could cause someone injury.

A guest at a residential pool, on the other hand, would be considered a licensee. Licensees are owed a lesser duty of care. A residential pool owner would be responsible for warning guests about loose bricks surrounding the swimming pool, but the pool owner wouldn’t have to get the bricks fixed to avoid liability. In other words, a residential pool owner’s legal responsibility to their guests is just to warn of dangerous conditions – not necessarily get them fixed.

Both residential and commercial pool owners are also responsible for keeping their pools fenced in. This is because children can’t be expected to have the reasoning skills to avoid wandering into a pool. A pool fence must always be in place and in good condition in order to prevent injuries to children.

Swimming Pool Accident Statistics

• In 2017, there were 11,116 nonfatal swimming pool accidents
• Children under 14 accounted for around 78% of those injured in nonfatal pool accidents
• In 2017, 4,508 people were killed in swimming pool accidents
• Around 16% of those who died in swimming pool accidents were children
• Drowning is the second-most common cause of injury-related child deaths
• Nearly ¾ of all fatal pool accidents occur in residential swimming pools
• A nonfatal pool accident costs the injured person around $285,000
• A fatal pool accident costs the family of the person killed over $1.2 million

What Are Some Dangers of Swimming Pools?

Drownings and injuries in swimming pools can have multiple causes. Not being a strong swimmer is, of course, one of the most common causes of drowning. Diving into a pool that’s too shallow can cause severe head and brain trauma, as well as drowning if the diver is knocked unconscious.

A very common cause of serious injuries in pools is missing drain covers. Uncovered drains can suck in limbs, thus leading to broken bones and other injuries. Another potential danger of pools is unbalanced chemicals – especially chlorine. If the chlorine levels in a pool are too high, it can lead to chemical burn injuries.

One hidden danger that has been increasing in incidence lately is the spread of infections and diseases in pools. Swimmers need to avoid swimming while sick and pool owners need to keep their pools clean to prevent this from happening.

Ways to Prevent Accidents at Swimming Pools

There are a few measures you can take to prevent accidents and drownings at a pool:

• Place a fence around your pool area. If your swimming pool is not fenced in, it can make it easy for children to approach and fall into your pool.
• Don’t leave children unsupervised. Either keep an eye on children yourself or make sure that they will be properly supervised while swimming at a pool.
• Make sure children are using floatation devices if they can’t swim. Even if you’re keeping an eye on them, a child can quickly get injured in a pool if they’re not a strong swimmer.
• Don’t let anyone swim while under the influence. Swimming while intoxicated can be just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.

If Injured in a Dallas Pool, Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys

Negligent pool owners are far too common nowadays. If you or a loved one received serious injuries as a result of a pool owner’s negligence, contact the experienced premises liability attorneys at Hernandez Law Group, P.C. We know how traumatic it can be to see someone drown or nearly drown yourself. You deserve compensation for this trauma and any expenses resulting from the accident.

Juan Hernandez is an experienced attorney who is one of the 2% of Texas lawyers that is board-certified to practice personal injury law. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at our Dallas, Abilene, or Amarillo office.

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