Swimming pool accidents can result in large settlements or verdicts for those who were injured. We have handled many cases where victims have been hurt and where families have lost young children to the dangers of pools. No matter what the situation, if the property owner was negligent, you should take appropriate legal action. If you are in need of a skilled swimming pool accident lawyer, reach out to Normandie Law Firm for more assistance.
How do swimming pool accidents happen?
Swimming pool accidents can happen anywhere there is a pool. They can occur at schools, YMCA locations, gyms, public facilities, private properties, and more. Some of the primary causes of pool accidents include:
- Broken diving boards
- Slippery floors
- Lack of lifeguards and supervision
- Murky or unclean water
- Broken drains and pumps
- Faulty equipment, like broken ladders and steps
- Broken floatation and safety devices
- Lack of proper lighting
- Lack of pool markers indicating depth
As a result of these incidents, swimmers can be seriously injured. Many divers have jumped in shallow ends of pools without realizing the depth, and have surfed intense injuries. Some of the damages include:
- Concussions
- Closed head injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Broken bones
- Dislocations
- Sprains
- Torn muscles and ligaments
- Nerve damage
- Drowning
- Coma
- Paralysis
- Death
If you have been involved in a swimming accident and wish to pursue the fairest legal compensation available, contact our firm today.
What are the steps to file a swimming pool accident lawsuit?
In order to file a swimming pool accident lawsuit, you will need ample evidence of negligence. You must be able to prove that the property owner was aware of the problem and did nothing to fix it, caused the issue in the first place, or was unaware yet reasonably should have known about the hazard. We recommend you taking these steps for your case:
- Go to the doctor for medical treatment
- Get copies of the doctor’s notes, treatment summaries, and receipts
- Do not wait too long to go to the doctor or the insurance agent will doubt the validity of your claim and your injuries may worsen over time
- Photograph your injuries
- Take pictures of the pool and scene of the accident, and acquire security footage if possible
- Write down testimonies and statements from eyewitnesses who were present for the incident
- File an incident report with the location if you were at a hotel or place of business
- Print copies of receipts showing that you were a paying customer or a member at a pool
- Find an attorney with experience in swimming pool accident lawsuits
How much do swimming pool accident cases settle for?
If you want to know the average value of a swimming pool accident case, you should look at other lawsuits that have been settled or have gone to court. The averages, however, are sometimes higher than the median because one or two outliers can pull the numbers up, when the reality is that most will not settle for such amounts. The true worth of a case is determined by the insurance agent handling it. He will look at the impact the incident had on the life and career of the victim, investigate how responsible each party was, and more. Upon concluding his investigation, he will make an offer, and if that offer is too low, we will work to negotiate a fairer deal.
Some sample case results have been provided below for you to observe and consider:
- $982,000 Verdict: A teenage boy was visiting his girlfriend at her apartment complex, and they and other friends opted to use the pool for the night. The pool was murky and had a deep end of 8 feet. The other individuals could not swim, but he could. He dove into the deep end but did not resurface. After waiting a bit, the group poked around until they finally called emergency personnel. They arrived and recovered him from the bottom, but were unable to resuscitate him. The boy’s family sued on the premise that the property was negligent; there were no lights or maintenance logs, the drain was not visible, and the pool should not have been open for use. The ruling was that the property company was 55% negligent, with the rest being placed on the young boy. The ensuing wrongful death claim was just under $1,000,000.
- $10,000,000 Verdict: A young teenage boy was swimming in a city swimming pool, but he eventually grew tired and distressed. He was unable to properly stay afloat, and a friend could not keep him up. He ran to the boy’s mother, who in turn alerted the pool manager lifeguards; they ran and dove into the water, but were unable to revive the boy. They searched for 40 minutes to no avail. The mother and family sued on the premise that there was an intense lack of supervision at the pool and the recovery efforts were insufficient. The defense claimed that the boy should not have been swimming in the deep end and that the mother should have gone directly to the lifeguards instead of the manager. The court ruled in favor of the family.
- $4,000,000 Verdict: A man and his family were at a country club. He had his 5-year-old son with him. The boy was walking to the bathroom by himself when he slipped and wound up falling into the pool. The boy’s sister noticed that the boy was floating in the pool and called for help. Other individuals jumped in and pulled him out. The singular lifeguard on duty was unable to revive the boy, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The family sued the country club because they had only 1 newly-hired lifeguard on duty to supervise over two dozen children in the pool. This lack of training and understaffing by the country club was used as the foundation for the lawsuit. In the end, the boy’s family was awarded the total $4,000,000 verdict.
To ensure that your case is within this range, you should reach out to a lawyer with experience in swimming pool accidents.
What compensation can I win from a swimming pool accident case?
You could win various kinds of compensation if you sue because of a swimming accident. We will make sure that your expenses are fully covered and that you have to pay for nothing out of pocket. We will see to it that you are given the following:
- Medical expenses to cover surgery, hospital stay, ambulatory transportation, medication and prescription drugs, physical rehabilitation and therapy, future medical procedures, and more
- Lost income from the time you could not go to work, as well as future lost wages because you were receiving medical treatment or recovering from the injuries
- Property damage to pay for any lost personal belongings
- Pain and suffering damages to cover the emotional trauma, psychological anguish, PTSD, anxiety, fear, and more
- Punitive damages if the incident were caused by gross negligence or an intention to cause harm, which can result in additional monetary damages; these damages are often viewed as excessive, though, and can only be won by a skilled lawyer
- Wrongful death damages if a family member or loved one passed away in the incident, which can include pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering, funeral and burial fees, loss of consortium, loss of expected inheritance and savings, and more
We will work hard to make sure you are given the maximum damages available for your case.
How long do I have to sue for a swimming pool accident lawsuit?
The statute of limitations in California is 2 years from the date of the injury. If you wish to file a personal injury claim, wrongful death claim, or premises liability lawsuit f any kind, you will only have 2 years to do so before your claim will become ineligible for compensation. It is important that you do not wait too long to sue, as your evidence will begin to get corrupted or may be lost the longer you wait.
There are exceptions to the statute of limitations, though. The most common involves individuals who were underage when the incident happened; they can wait until they turn 18 years old to sue. Also, some individuals may have been left physically incapacitated after the incident, and thus could not sue. This would make the statute suspended until they return to health. Additionally, if the defendant is not in the state and has vacated it, the statute would be suspended until he returns.
You can ensure that you do not miss a deadline by coming to our firm for assistance.
Our Firm and You
Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles is one of the most respected law firms in the state. We have years of experience with swimming pool accident cases and we will go to all lengths to win your claim for you. If you already have an attorney, you can call us for a free second opinion to reevaluate your case. We will tell you if we feel your current lawyer is doing all he can to win or if he is not working that hard.
If you wish, you can set up a free consultation with our law firm. We will ensure all your details are confidential and private, and we will tell you what we believe your case is worth and how to move forward. If you want us to represent you, we will give you our zero fee guarantee, which means you won’t pay any money at all from start to finish. We will get paid if we win, and if we lose, we do not get anything at all.
Let Normandie Law Firm assist you with your swimming pool accident claim.
