Drowning and swimming pool accidents are a tragic reality for far too many children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-fifth of all fatal drowning victims are children 14 years old or younger, with an additional four children receiving emergency department treatment for nonfatal injuries for every drowning victim. Swimming pool accidents can be particularly devastating, causing a range of long-term disabilities such as memory loss, learning disabilities, and even a permanent vegetative state.

Given these sobering statistics, it is clear that we must do more to keep our children safe around pools and in the water. This requires greater vigilance by parents when supervising their kids, but also improvements in swimming pool safety features and public awareness campaigns to promote proper precautions. Ultimately, though, it falls on us as a society to take action to prevent these accidents from occurring in the first place.

Swimming pool accidents are all too common, but most of them are preventable. Swimming pool owners, including homeowners, hotels, resorts, schools, water parks, and city public pools, are responsible for providing a safe swimming pool area by taking certain precautions to prevent accidents. Many accidents occur because of the negligence of the swimming pool owner or operator. For example, failing to properly maintain the pool area, not having adequate safety equipment on hand, or not having trained lifeguards on duty can all lead to accidents. Swimming pool owners must take these risks seriously and do everything possible to prevent accidents from occurring. By taking simple steps such as posting warning signs, regularly checking the pool area for hazards, and ensuring that lifeguards are on duty at all times, swimming pool owners can help prevent tragedies from happening.

The owner or operator of a swimming pool may be liable for damages if you or a loved one are injured in a swimming pool accident. In addition to providing safe conditions for those entering the property, property owners, including owners and operators of swimming pools, are legally responsible for premises liability.

We offer free consultations to discuss premises liability or wrongful death cases at The Law Office of Jeffrey Friedman, P.C.