Handling Cases Nationwide
Keeping others safe in a public or private pool requires that the pool’s owner regularly maintain it. This will usually require the pool owner to ensure all pumps, filters, and drains are functioning properly, that an appropriate and safe amount of pool chemicals are added to maintain the pool’s pH level and chlorine content, and that the pool water is kept clean and clear. A pool owner who does not properly maintain his or her pool may be liable if someone is injured in a drowning or near-drowning incident as a result.
How to Tell if Negligent Pool Maintenance Contributed to Your Drowning or Near-Drowning Incident
Sometimes, it is obvious that negligent pool maintenance is a contributing factor to a drowning or near-drowning incident. A pool whose water is murky or that is missing drain covers poses an obvious danger to swimmers. Likewise, pools with pumps that are smoking or emitting strange sounds can be a clear indicator that the pool has not been properly maintained. Obvious rust or decay on ladders or worn and slippery surfaces on diving boards can also suggest pool maintenance has not been properly completed. If you notice any of these problems and you are injured in a pool accident, try and take pictures of the pool as soon as possible and before the owner has an opportunity to conduct repairs. Pictures can be powerful evidence to prove a pool was not properly maintained.
What if you do not notice any of these problems with a pool? Does that mean that negligent pool maintenance can be ruled out as a contributing cause? Not necessarily. Your negligent pool maintenance accident attorney will want to speak with the person or business responsible for maintaining the pool and look at the maintenance records they may have. Sometimes the pool was not being properly maintained but the maintenance company was completing just enough work to make it look as if the pool was being cared for.
What To Do After a Pool Accident
After you or a loved one have been injured in a pool accident, there are steps you can take to allow your attorney to fully investigate your claim and determine if negligent pool maintenance may be an issue in your case. Your first priority should be attending to your or your loved one’s medical needs and following all treatment recommendations by the doctor.
If possible, you should then try to:
- Take pictures or video of the pool if you are able to do so without trespassing or breaking any laws. Oftentimes, a picture of a poorly maintained pool is the most powerful evidence of negligence available.
- Speak with friends and neighbors who also use the pool to see if they have noticed unsafe conditions in and around the pool. If you claim an uncovered drain caused you injuries but the pool owner shows a picture of the drain covered up, the testimony of someone else who also saw the drain uncovered around the time of your accident can be useful to your case.
- Determine who is responsible for maintaining the pool. If it is a private residential pool, the owner or a private company may be responsible for maintaining and servicing the pool. The same holds true for public pools. Your attorney will need to know the name of this company so that maintenance and service records can be subpoenaed and examined.
Contact Zinda Law Group Today
Do not be intimidated or scared to seek compensation after a pool injury, especially one caused by an improperly-maintained pool. We at Zinda Law Group can help you hold those whose carelessness contributed to your injuries responsible for the expenses and losses you incurred. Contact us today at (800) 863-5312 and allow us to help you.
