Summertime is a popular season to get some quality pool time in alongside family and friends, but having a good time shouldn’t be the only thing you’re worried about. Whether you’re gathering around a friend’s pool for a birthday party, meeting at the public pool with family, or maintaining your own private pool area, you’ll likely find yourself by a pool at some point this summer. Unfortunately, these relaxing havens are a common site for painful, catastrophic accidents. Swimming pool injuries happen every day and spike during the summer months when pools becoming increasingly popular. Between slips on the pavement, diving injuries, and everything in between, swimming pool accidents can and do happen.
When you grab your suit and towel to lounge poolside, make sure you know what you can do to stay safe and avoid a swimming pool accident. Follow these useful tips this season to avoid any unnecessary harm.
1. Don’t Dive
Diving in private pools is almost always a bad idea. Diving in shallow water could lead to serious shoulder, neck, and head injuries, and most private pools are not deep enough to dive into safely. If you do dive into a private pool, make sure the water is at least 6 feet deep, and only dive in the appropriately marked areas in public pools.
2. Never Leave Kids Unattended
Children should never be left to their own devices around any body of water. Children don’t always understand the dangers pools present, and they could slip and injure themselves or even drown. Even if your child can swim, they should never be allowed to swim without adult supervision, just in case. Younger children, especially, should have constant supervision, and children who are not strong swimmers should wear a life vest.
3. Maintain Your Pool
If you are a pool owner, you have a duty to keep your pool safe and well-maintained for any prospective visitors. Also, according to the laws of attractive nuisance, you should keep it protected from any wandering children. In short, keep a barrier around your pool to keep kids from getting in without an adult, and make sure the area around your pool is not too slippery. It’s also a good idea to keep a flotation device and first aid kit nearby in case of an emergency.
What To Do If You’re Injured
If you or someone you love was injured in a swimming pool accident, its important to consider who may be at fault. At a public pool, lifeguards are often responsible for keeping swimmers safe, and the property owner should maintain proper safety measures throughout the pool area. If the pool was poorly maintained, the owner could be liable. When it comes to private swimming pool injuries, issues of premises liability or attractive nuisance may come into play, especially if your child was the one injured. In any case, if you’re dealing with the aftermath of a swimming pool accident, our experienced personal injury attorneys are here to help.
Contact Singleton Smith Law Offices, Inc. to discuss your case with our Murrieta personal injury attorneys.