With the summer holiday in full swing, it is important to exercise caution when visiting backyard swimming pools and recreational or hotel aquatic facilities to prevent injuries and drownings.
Pools pose an ever present risk of injury and fatality, with fatal drownings the second leading cause of unintentional injury in the U.S. for young children and teens.
Serious non-fatal swimming pool Injuries include traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that can occur from contacting the bottom of pools when diving in shallow water or hitting the side of pools or other equipment such as diving boards when jumping. Disembowelment, evisceration, and entrapment injuries can occur when swimmers contact poorly designed or uncovered pool drains and suction pumps.
Common hazards around pools include electrical defects, slippery pools and decks, ladders and stars, slides and diving boards, unsafe pool toys, and uncovered drains and ducts. Unsupervised swimming or use of equipment can also pose a serious risk to swimmers.
There are state and federal laws that pool operators and owners, manufacturers, dealers, and installers of pools must observe. If you or a family member is injured in a pool accident, you may be entitled to compensation for current or future medical treatment, rehabilitation, and other expenses resulting from the injury. You may also be entitled to lost wages if you cannot work due to the injury.
When you or a family member is injured in a pool accident, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to get the help you will need. The Davenport personal injury lawyers of McDonald & Woodward, P.C., fight for the rights of those injured through negligence in pool accidents. Contact us for a consultation on your pool accident injury at 563-355-6478.