As the weather gets warmer, you may be excited to open your home’s backyard pool and invite over guests to beat the summer heat. Or, you might be looking forward to hanging out in and around your neighbour’s pool. Either way, it’s important to know your rights and responsibilities. Pool accidents have become increasingly common, so practicing caution and vigilance is essential. If you find yourself injured due to a swimming pool accident, our team of lawyers can help discuss your options in filing a claim.
What Are Your Responsibilities?
As a homeowner, you are responsible for everyone’s safety on your premises. This means that you may be liable for any injuries or drowning accidents on your property. It’s important to take reasonable care to maintain a safe pool area and minimize risk where possible. Proper maintenance and repairs must be kept up for enclosures, equipment, and surrounding property of your pool.
Prevention is key to ensuring a hazard-free environment for any and all guests. Providing pool goers with rules in written and verbal form is a great way to communicate pool safety expectations. In addition to this, posting signage pertaining to shallow water depths can help avert diving-related accidents.
Lastly, it is always a good idea to stay alert and be observant of what is occurring on your property. Keep an eye out for potential tripping hazards and unsafe behaviour.
Common Pool Injuries
Accidents often occur on a pool deck, on a diving board, slide, or pool ladder. Injuries can arise due to a slip and fall on these surfaces, and in some cases, may cause serious harm. Common consequences include limb injuries, fractured bones, and lacerations. Severe cases could cause life-altering effects as a result of damage to the head, neck, or spine.
There are a multitude of potential causes for these injuries, including a lack of supervision, poorly maintained steps or tiles, damaged accessories (slides, diving boards), or the absence of adequate fencing on private pools. A pool owner may be held liable in many different ways.
What to Do If You’ve Been Injured
If you are a victim of injury following a swimming pool incident, it is vital that you receive immediate medical attention. As you start to explore your potential legal options, consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your options. You may be entitled to compensation for your losses from those responsible for your injuries.
The team at Beckett Personal Injury Lawyers specializes in representing victims of injury due to negligence. If you or a loved one has been injured in a swimming pool accident, contact us today for a free evaluation of your case to ensure you are fairly represented and compensated.
Published on July 20, 2021
