Swimming Pool Liability

Summer is in full swing, and with LA’s skyrocketing temperatures, a pool day is essential for most families. However, as described in our blog, The New Definition of Drowning, a fun family day at the pool can quickly go downhill should your child quietly slip under the water.

Each year, thousands of people die in accidental drowning incidents, making it the leading cause of death in young children. Many of these children die at pools where they are supposed to be being supervised.

Due to the low profile of most drowning situations, lifeguards and pool personnel should exhibit constant vigilance. Drowning deaths can happen quickly and before many bystanders notice something is wrong. Despite being easily overlooked, public pool personnel can still be held liable for any drowning deaths or injuries that occur on their property. You can contact a Sherman Oaks swimming pool injury attorney if your loved one was injured at a public pool in the Los Angeles area.

Our swimming pool injury lawyer in Sherman Oaks will be able to tell you whether or not you have a strong case for compensation during your free case review. We’ll make this assumption based on the situation, whether it was a public pool or private pool, and what signage was available.

Typical Grounds For Liability

Regardless of whether your family member was an invitee or a licensee, certain risks are too difficult to eliminate and too detectable, such as slippery surfaces around the pool. A lawsuit like a slip and fall when the accident happened within a few feet of the pool is not likely to get far in suing the pool owner for negligence.

However, it may not be clear if a pool’s depth is too shallow for diving or if the water has an unseen obstruction in it, failing to warn those on the property could make an owner liable for any injuries that occur.

The kind of pool also matters. A pool that is only open to invitees, such as hotel guests or club members, can be held liable if they fail to provide safety equipment like life preservers. Pool accessories like ladders and diving boards should not fall into disrepair. A public pool that is open to the general public, like one owned by a municipality, may have stricter rules. They may be held liable for not having adequate lifeguards on the premises. Keep in mind that government agencies are sometimes protected from lawsuits through the doctrine of governmental immunity.

Private Pool Liability in Los Angeles

If you are one of the lucky Angelenos that has a pool in backyard, you need to have a thorough understanding of any premises liability suits that Sherman Oaks injury attorneys try to throw at you. People who visit your pool may be expressly invited, or they may understand that they are allowed to use it. Invitees have more legal protection by injury lawyers in Sherman Oaks that licensees (those who are not expressly invited).

Licensees are the guests that enter your pool without express permission, but they are still welcome. You should protect them from dangers that aren’t obvious. If you know that there is a safety hazard, such as a broken diving board, you should warn others and/or fix it.

Children also have different protections from a bodily injury lawyer in Sherman Oaks. If children are not properly supervised and they are injured while using your pool, you can be held liable. Additionally, trespassing children also have to be protected. Even if they aren’t supposed to be on your property, you can be held liable for attractive nuisance.

Attractive nuisance only applies to children, and it refers to the allure a pool provides to kids who may be passing by. On a hot day, the pool may be irresistible to children, but if they are injured on your property or drown in the pool, you can be held liable since you’re the landowner. Property owners have a duty to take precautions to prevent children from entering and hurting themselves on their property. If you have a pool in your backyard, you should protect it with a fence.

Public Pool Liability in Los Angeles

The owner of a public pool accessible by the community must also maintain a safe area, and they should take additional steps that a private pool owner wouldn’t. Public pool owners can be held liable for not maintaining a safe premises where all dangers are clearly identified or quickly repaired.

A public pool owner must also provide emergency safety equipment. If they don’t provide items like lifesavers, then they can be sued by a Sherman Oaks swimming pool liability lawyer should someone get injured.

They can also be held liable for injuries and deaths if there are no lifeguards or other safety personnel in the area. If someone drowns while a lifeguard is on duty, then the lifeguard can also be held liable should the courts find that they were distracted or otherwise negligent in their job.

Contacting an Attorney From Okhovat Law

Were you or a loved one in a recent accident? Did you sustain minor to severe injuries due to the negligence of another person? Any time you are experiencing an emotional, financial, or physical toll from an accident, you should work with an attorney to take legal action.

The multilingual legal staff at Okhovat Law Firm works hard to give clients the results they deserve. Several years ago, Anna Okhovat started her mission to establish a firm centered around personal injury law. Her goal is to provide legal counsel, support, and the highest level of care. Not only does this firm have a reputation for getting clients the results they need, but also for:

• Having a proven track record
• Providing one-on-one contact with clients
• Not charging fees unless the case is won
• Taking a personalized approach to every case

Whether you were injured in a car accident or slip and fall, or if you want to file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a deceased loved one, you can feel confident with Okhovat Law on your side. Before, during, and after every legal consultation, we will answer any questions to provide you with the best service and support possible. Don’t wait and lose your opportunity to file a claim for compensation. Instead, give us a call at 310-362-6740 or email us at info@okhovatlawfirm.com.