• Amusement Park Accidents
• Elevator Accidents
• Inadequate Security
• Slip and Fall
• Swimming Pool Accidents

Swimming Pool Accidents

Swimming Pool Accident Lawyers

Owners and operators of swimming pools have a duty of care towards those who use their facilities. Injuries and fatalities that result from a failure to mark shallow water, properly place or install diving boards, secure the premises after hours, or place a lifeguard on duty can be grounds for legal action. Even when pools comply with building codes, a diving board placed too close to unmarked shallow water or an area with a slippery surface can cause serious injuries and hazards.

Whether your swimming pool injury happened at a municipal pool, apartment complex, private home, hotel, or school, a Melbourne Personal Injury lawyer can investigate the claim thoroughly to determine exactly what happened and who is liable.

• Did the pool owner fail to protect you from hazards?
• Did the pool maintenance company fail to properly store pool chemicals?
• Did the diving board manufacturer produce a dangerous or defective product?

Melbourne Personal Injury lawyers represent those involved in swimming pool accidents resulting in:

• Drowning
• Anoxic injuries
• Broken neck from diving board accident
• Broken bones
• Head Injuries
• Crushed vertebrae or spinal cord injuries
• Injuries related to drain suction

Swimming pool and diving board accidents are also associated with a high risk of spinal cord injury such as paraplegia and quadriplegia that can leave victims paralyzed for life. Exposure to toxic pool chemicals can also cause severe injury.

Helping Families after a Drowning Accident

The loss of a loved one through a drowning accident can be devastating to a family left behind to pick up the pieces and answer how the accident could have been prevented. It is important to have a qualified Melbourne personal injury lawyer investigate such a tragedy immediately to determine if the loss was the fault of another or could have been prevented.

Likewise, a nonfatal drowning accident can cause brain damage that results in long-term disabilities ranging from memory problems and learning disabilities to the permanent loss of basic functioning (vegetative state). These injuries may necessitate ongoing, long-term care that puts an enormous strain on the victim’s families. In order to help families with the financial and healthcare needs of their injured loved one, Melbourne Injury lawyers may consult a specialist in helping the family establish a special needs trust for the healthcare needs of their loved one. Doing so not only ensures their future medical needs will be taken care of it can also help injury victims qualify for long-term medical benefits through Medicaid.

Prevention

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has provided the following guidelines for swimming pool safety.

• Instruct babysitters about potential pool hazards to young children and about the use of protective devices, such as door alarms and latches. Emphasize the need for constant supervision.
• Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool. During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a "designated watcher" to protect young children from pool accidents. Adults may take turns being the "watcher." When adults become preoccupied, children are at risk.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom and surface, as well as the pool area.
• Do not allow a young child in the pool without an adult.
• Do not consider young children to be drown-proof just because they have had swimming lessons. Children must be watched closely while swimming.
• Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Babysitters and other caretakers, such as grandparents and older siblings, should also know CPR.
• Keep rescue equipment by the pool. Be sure a telephone is poolside with emergency numbers posted nearby.
• Remove toys from in and around the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children to the pool.
• Never prop open the gate to a pool barrier.