Swimming Pool Injury Attorney in Las Vegas

Swimming Pool Injury Attorney in Las Vegas

The injuries that can result from accidents in swimming pools can be fatal. The most affected by these are children. In the United States there are eleven drowning deaths per day and in Las Vegas between private homes, resorts, and hotels there are more than 200.000 swimming pools. Not all accidents in pools can cause fatal drowning, non-fatal drowning can also leave several injuries in the victims of these types of accidents.

If you or a loved one have been injured at a pool for the negligence of other parties, contact us now for a free consultation of your case. Our attorneys with years of experience in swimming pool injuries will help you receive just compensation for your damages.

Causes of Swimming Pool Injuries

There’s a variety of factors that can contribute to suffering injuries in a swimming pool, some of the most common causes of these injuries include:

• Inadequate warning or safety signage. Properties that have pools should always have signs warning visitors of the fact that the ground surrounding the pool may be slippery
• Poor training of a lifeguard
• Negligent supervision of an adult or a lifeguard
• Inadequate or defective fencing around the swimming pool
• Uneven or cracked surfaces near the pool
• Lack of safety equipment
• Improper pool lighting 
• Electrocutions

Types of Swimming Pool Accidents

Some of the most common types of swimming pool accidents are:

• Slip and fall accidents: this is the most common one, and it occurs when materials that are used around the pool become slippery when wet.
• Diving board injuries: these accidents mostly occur due to inadequate supervision or poorly maintained diving boards.
• Submersion injuries: drowning can result in death or in brain, pulmonary or neurological damage.
• Suction entrapment: this occurs when a swimmer gets trapped by suction forces created by water flowing out of the drain at the bottom of the pool.

Swimming pool accidents regularly occur in:

• Private swimming clubs
• Hotel pools
• Waterparks
• Public swimming pools
• Private residential pools 

Types of Injuries Suffered in Swimming Pools

Different types of injuries can occur after suffering an accident in a swimming pool, and they differ in the range of severity. Some of the most common are:

• Head Injury
• Traumatic brain injury
• Neck and back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Wrongful death 
• Soft tissue damage 
• Burn injuries

In Las Vegas, there’s a high potential for swimming pool accidents due to the volume of alcohol people consume at pool parties and while they stay in hotels and resorts.

Compensation from Swimming Pool Injuries

The compensation will be determined by the factors surrounding the accident, and the extent of the injuries. There are two types of damages you can obtain compensation from filing a claim after suffering injuries in a swimming pool, they are: economic damages and non-economic damages. You may be entitled to these damages under the following theories:

• Wrongful death: when the accident caused the death of the victim, you can file a claim for wrongful death. 
• Premises liability: this can be applied in the cases where the person failed to ensure proper maintenance and care of the property and because of that it resulted or contributed to the injuries sustained.
• Negligence: you can file a claim against a person or a group for their negligent actions that caused or contributed to the injuries sustained.

Some examples of the damages from which you can obtain compensation are:

• Future and past medical expenses
• Loss of income
• Nursing care
• Pain and suffering
• Wrongful death
• Burial and funeral expenses
• Loss of consortium
• Depression
• Anxiety

Responsibility in Cases of Swimming Pool Injuries

Determining responsibility in cases of injuries suffered in swimming pools depends on the specific facts involved in each case. In most cases, the owner or the entity who owns the pool or property where the pool is located is held responsible for the injuries suffered there. In other cases, the responsibility can fall on the person who was in charge of supervising the pool and surrounding areas, also the company that manufactures defective products used in the pool can be held liable. The most common parties that can be found responsible in these cases are:

• Owner of the swimming pool, the law requires that swimming pool owners take the proper steps to prevent children from injury. 
• Failure to supervise swimming pools, apart from liability for failure to enclose pools, the law also asserts liability in cases of not enough supervision or failure to supervise.
• Products and equipment in bad shape, an owner of a pool has the duty to maintain pool equipment and ensure that their property is safe for others to use.

Swimming Pool Regulations in Nevada

Nevada has a specific Swimming pool code that strives to limit the number of pool-related injuries. The guidelines cover everything from required safety features to proper mechanical treatment, they also dictate environmental concerns, where the construction of the pool takes place to avoid potential electrical hazards, the plumbing requirements, filtration systems, wastewater treatment and more.

Tips to Prevent Pool Injuries

There are some things that can be done to help reduce the risks of sustaining injuries in a pool. Some of them are:

• Fencing off the pool area, to help keep young children from getting in without supervision.
• Supervision or Lifeguards, it can help avoid fatal accidents.
• Life jackets or flotation devices, especially for swimmers with not enough experience or limited ability
• Avoid swimming alone.
• Try to keep the pool area as clean and dry as possible.

Deaths from drowning and other injuries could be decreased if the hotels and resorts take greater responsibility for guests safety.

How Can an Experienced Attorney Help You?

The different ways our attorneys can assist you include:

• Helping you get immediate medical care.
• Managing ongoing medical care.
• Gathering evidence to identify liable parties.
• Appointing experts to analyze this evidence or present it to a judge or jury
• Filing a personal injury claim

Do I Have a Time Limit to Present a Claim for Injuries from a Swimming Pool?

Yes, in most states of the United States there is what is known as the statute of limitations, which is a law that restricts the amount of time a plaintiff has to file a claim after an injury occurs. In Nevada, the statute of limitations in cases of personal injury, such as swimming pool injuries, is two years from the date of the injury. Because of this it is imperative that you consult an experienced lawyer in swimming pool injuries from Las Vegas as soon as possible after an accident occurs.