Handling Cases Nationwide
Country clubs often have pools that their members and guests of their members can use. One might think that, because members pay for the privilege of using a private club’s pool that the pool would be well-maintained and safe; sadly this is not always true. Drownings, near-drownings, and other serious injuries occur in and around country club pools. These accidents can result in broken bones, spine and neck injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and even death. You and your family may be entitled to compensation from the country club if you or a loved one are injured or die in or around a country club pool.
Is the Country Club Responsible for My Injuries or My Loved One’s Death?
Any time a property owner invites others onto his or her property – as a country club does when it allows you and your guests to come onto the club’s property – the property owner owes a duty of care to those people who respond and come on the property. This generally requires the property owner to make a reasonable inspection of the property for safety hazards and correct any hazards that are found or, at the very least, alert others as to the existence of the hazard. For example, a slippery walkway around a pool should be cleaned up regularly or, at the very least, signs should be posted advising others that the walkway can be slippery and they should use caution.
The Pool Area
When it comes to the pool area itself, a country club’s responsibilities go even further. Because children are especially attracted to pools and other bodies of water and, thus, are more likely to be injured in drowning and near-drowning accidents, country clubs need to take extra precautions to protect children. This includes fencing off the pool area with a fence that is difficult for children to open by themselves and that is difficult to climb over or under. Some clubs may even consider having an employee stationed near the pool to help prevent unaccompanied children from entering the pool area.
Lifeguards
Some clubs also employ lifeguards. If they do, the club has a responsibility to ensure the lifeguards are appropriately trained and equipped with the equipment they need to do their jobs properly. This means having flotation devices, first-aid kits, stabilization boards, and other tools readily available and making sure the lifeguards are properly trained in how to use this equipment during an emergency.
A country club that fails to do any of these actions may be found to be negligent and thus responsible for any pool accidents that occur. A court will examine what steps a reasonable country club in similar circumstances would have done and then evaluate the country club’s actions in light of this standard. Where a country club could have take taken other reasonable steps to protect club members and guests from a pool accident but failed to do so, the club may be responsible for paying the expenses and losses experienced by the injury victim.
Contact Zinda Law Group for Help
At Zinda Law Group, our attorneys are knowledgeable of the steps that country clubs with pools need to take to protect their guests and members from injury. This enables us to evaluate your country club pool accident case quickly and advise you of your legal rights. We advocate aggressively on behalf of our clients and will fight to obtain the compensation you need to meet the medical expenses and other bills that accompany a country club pool accident. Contact us at (800) 863-5312 today and learn how we can help you and your family following a country club pool injury accident.
