Pools are supposed to be fun places to cool off. Unfortunately, around 3,536 people die every year from drowning – and even more from other accidents related to pools. For many, these injuries are not serious, and they may fully recover after a few days. For other injuries, the effects will be felt for the rest of the swimmer’s life. If you were injured by an above-ground pool defect, or were injured in any other way in a pool, contact an Arlington TX personal injury lawyer at The Queenan Law firm. Our lawyers may be able to take negligent pool manufacturers or the property owners of the pool to court, and work to get you the compensation you need for your injuries.
Common Reasons for Pool Accidents
Of course, one of the most common injuries in the pool is drowning. Drowning is possible any time there is enough water to submerge your mouth and nose. Especially for unattended children and weak swimmers, the risk of drowning is higher, regardless of the type of pool. Alongside other injuries, such as head trauma, drowning can be even more serious. Hitting one’s head while diving, jumping, or swimming can mean falling unconscious in the water, and drowning. Drowning is not always fatal, especially with quick reactions from lifeguards or parents, but any time the brain spends without oxygen could cause permanent damage.
This leads to another common injury: head trauma. Traumatic brain injury can result from strong blows to the head while jumping or diving, during horseplay, or if someone slips and falls near the pool. Less severe concussions are more common than traumatic brain injury, but the difference is the degree of harm. Even concussions can be very serious, especially if you have already suffered other concussions in your life. Any time there is a concussion, there is unconsciousness, which causes a greater risk of drowning.
On the lighter side, cuts and scrapes are incredibly common in pools. Especially in pools with rough concrete edges, children and adults alike could skin their knees or elbows along the surface of concrete edges. With above-ground pools, you can suffer serious cuts, scrapes, and even impalement if the walls of the pool fail. Broken or burst walls can mean a sudden rush of water from the pool. This can push or carry swimmers and bystanders, causing them severe injuries if they fall into or tumble across sharp or rough surfaces or objects.
One strange cause of injury is the intense suction power behind some pool filtration systems. The suction can be strong enough to disembowel or eviscerate people, especially children. Since 1990, over 170 people suffered reported injuries from being caught in drains in a pool, with over 27 of them dying. Many die because the force of the drain keeps them underwater, causing drowning. Others suffer disembowelment. While this is not always fatal, in at least one case of a 6-year-old girl, the injuries were severe enough to require feeding by an IV for the rest of her life because of the damage to her intestines and bowel.
Ultimately, many of these injuries happen when swimmers have low swimming abilities and poor supervision. If you are able to, always keep a good eye on your children while they are swimming, and ensure that they know how to swim. As a parent, you may also want to learn to swim, in case you need to help them. While lifeguards may be available at many public pools, private pools in peoples’ backyards are often where serious injuries occur.
Suing for Swimming Pool Injuries in Texas
If you or your child was injured in your own pool or at your own house, you may have a case against the pool manufacturer. Especially with above-ground pools, many injuries are caused because of poor design, construction, or assembly of the pool. This could entitle you to recover compensation from the pool manufacturer. The same may be true of overly dangerous drains or filtration systems that cause suction injuries, or lighting systems that short and cause electrification or electrocution.
If you were injured on another person’s property, at a public pool, or at a private pool at a swim club or other establishment, you may be able to sue the property owner for injuries. Many times, this means going after the property owner’s homeowners or business liability insurance, not the individual or company’s savings. This means that, even if you or your child was injured on a friend’s property, you may be able to take them to court to reach their insurance company’s payments.
Talk to a Texas personal injury attorney about what damages you may be entitled to. In some cases, the damages could be incredibly high for long-term injuries, life-changing injuries, or injuries that carry intense pain and suffering.
Call Our Personal Injury Lawyers Today for a Free Consultation
The Dallas personal injury lawyers at The Queenan Law Firm represent the victims of accidental injury in Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth, Houston, and beyond. For a free consultation on your swimming pool injury case, contact out attorneys today. Our number is (817) 476-1797.