Summer is Around the Corner: Know the Responsibilities of Pool Ownership

The importance of fencing pools is well-accepted by the vast majority of Americans, who recognize how easy it is for a toddler or small child to fall into an unfenced pool and drown. These types of incidents have become rare over the last 30 years, as more and more pool owners have done the responsible thing and enclosed their property.

But accidental drownings are not the only type of swimming pool accidents. Even as the number of children finding unfenced pools has decreased, other types of accidents are just as common as ever. These include:

• Head injuries due to diving into shallow water, particularly when the water depth is not properly indicated
• Slip and fall injuries associated with wet surfaces around the swimming pool
• Poisoning due to higher-than-safe levels of pool chemicals

Though fencing a pool is the number one priority when it comes to safety, addressing these other potential accidents is also important. Properly indicating water depth can go a long way to discouraging unsafe diving, and ensuring the surfaces around the pool does not become slippery when wet can eliminate most slip and falls.

Owning a pool is a significant responsibility. Simply hoping no one is hurt is not good enough. Owners must address potential health and safety hazards on their property or take responsibility for any accidents that occur. A set of reasonable rules enforced through adult supervision is a reasonable expectation.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a pool accident, determining whether or not the owner responsible maintained the area is important. An experienced attorney can evaluate your case and help you determine whether or not sufficient attention was paid to the safety of the pool area where the injury occurred.