Plantation Swimming Pool Accident Attorney On Your Side
Who’s Responsible for Swimming Pool Accidents?
In Florida, residential properties, hotels, and resorts frequently provide swimming pools for their guests. In the sweltering summer heat, if you don’t have the good fortune to own a pool of your own, you and your family can enjoy many public pools in the area. Slips and falls are among the most common types of mishaps that might take place in and around spaces with pools. The most tragic consequence of any accident is the loss of life due to drowning or severe injury. If you have been injured in a pool accident, it’s important to contact a Plantation swimming pool accident attorney like Nerina Smart.
In 2021, there were 98 child drownings that led to death in Florida. This was an increase from 2020, when there were 69 cases. What’s worse is that Florida loses more children to drowning yearly than any other state.
If the pool owner keeps their pool area clean and clear of hazards, they can prevent many accidents. If they cannot provide a secure environment for you and your guests, they may be held accountable for any injuries you sustain while on their property.
What Can Cause an Accident?
Accidents can happen in a swimming pool in various ways, both inside the pool and around it. Accidents can occur for those who are swimming or just visiting the pool due to the following reasons:
- Not knowing how to swim
- No supervision (when no lifeguard is on duty)
- Swimming under the influence
- Fooling around
The owner of the pool may cause accidents due to the following factors:
- Poor Lighting
- Slippery Floors
- Lack of safety equipment (gates, signage)
- No lifeguard on duty
When people visit a pool, the pool owners have a responsibility to exercise reasonable caution; this is true for hotels, community pools, and private properties. Accidents at the pool can be avoided by providing adequate care and attention to the pool area and having guests accountable for their actions.
What Types of Injuries Can Occur from a Pool Accident?
- Falling
Falling could potentially lead to severe injuries due to the slippery nature of the surface around the pool. When you slip and fall on wet surfaces, you risk sustaining multiple injuries, including sprains and fractures. In addition to this, you run the risk of causing another guest at the pool to slip and fall.
- Diving Board Injuries
The depth of the water in many pools is insufficient for diving. If you dive into a too shallow pool, your body may end up hitting the bottom of the pool. This can result in damage to the spine, brain, paralysis, or even death. Additionally, diving without observing where you are going, you risk injuring other people.
- Electrocution
The poolside is a popular spot for many people to hang out, listen to music, or charge their phones. Being near damp outlets can put you at risk for electrocution and other injuries. While ignoring this danger is simple, the chance of being electrocuted is very real if you do not exercise caution.
- Drowning / Near Drowning
In most cases, coming dangerously close to drowning does not end in death, but it can negatively affect one’s health. Depending on how long a person goes without oxygen, issues such as the following can result from near drownings:
- Pneumonia
- Brain injury
- Dry Drowning
Who is Responsible?
The law in Florida states that the person who owns the pool is the one who is responsible for maintaining the property in a condition that is free of dangers and reasonably safe. If you fail, you may be liable if a visitor sustains an injury because of your negligence.
Pool owners are required by law to make repairs and complete routine maintenance, to provide supervision, for exampleby a licensed lifeguard, to provide emergency equipment, and to post adequate signage and warnings. Homeowners must properly enclose their pool especially if they have very young children to prevent accidental drownings, and they must ensure that their backyard is properly enclosed to prevent the pool from being an attractive nuisance to young children in the neighborhood.
When an accident occurs because of the victim’s carelessness or because they trespassed onto the property, the pool owner is not held accountable for the injuries (unless the victim can prove that the owner’s negligence caused their injuries).
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
It is in your best interest to contact a Plantation swimming pool accident attorney immediately following any accident. Not just because the specifics will be fresh in your mind but also because a lawyer will be able to guide you toward the most effective course of action.
You have a period of two years beginning on the date of the accident to file suit for compensation for any injuries you may have received in a swimming pool accident.
You have two years from the accident date to file suit if someone died because of an accident in a swimming pool. Florida lawmakers recently changed the statute of limitations from four years to two years if the losses occurred after 3/24/23.
What Kind of Settlement Can I Get?
Your settlement amount will be determined by various factors, one of which is the degree of negligence exhibited by the pool owner and the severity of the injuries you sustained.
An attorney may be able to assist you in obtaining reimbursement for your medical expenses, which may include visits to the emergency room, costs incurred by your physician, the cost of prescription medications, X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and other tests, rehabilitative services, and any other costs associated with the accident.
You are eligible to get compensation for missed pay if the severity of your injury prevents you from going back to work for at least seven days. If the severity of your injuries makes it likely that you would be unable to return to work for some time, whether it be months, years, or even permanently, you would be eligible for compensation for future lost wages.
How Plantation Swimming Pool Accident Attorney Nerina Smart Can Help
If you have been injured in a Plantation, Florida or any South Florida community swimming pool accident, Plantation swimming pool accident attorney Nerina Smart can help you through this difficult time. At The Law Offices of Nerina Smart, P.A., we are compassionate to your situation but will fight aggressively for your rights and future. We offer highly individualized service to each client. Contact The Law Offices of Nerina Smart, P.A. today for a comprehensive consultation regarding your swimming pool accident.