Summer is finally here and the Missouri climate has escaped the rains of April and May, bringing in the hot weather, sunny skies, and all of the opportunities that summer brings. As a result, Kansas City's public swimming pools are preparing for another full and fun-filled summer, whether at the Swope Park Pool, the Parkwood Swimming Pool, and several others.However, as much fun as our city's swimming pools bring to all ages, there are, of course, concerns that need to be raised. From public pools to private pools at home, negligence around the swimming pool can cause very serious injuries, or even death, and if this is the case, whether you or a loved one was injured or killed, then you need to call the personal injury attorneys at Kansas City's Popham Law.
Call our law firm or contact us online for a free consultation, and our attorneys will immediately get on the case. Call today at (844) 243-2288.
Overview of Swimming Pools and Missouri Personal Injury Laws
According to the World Health Organization, drowning remains as one of the leading causes of unintentional death, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, in the United States, an average of 3,536 people drown annually. This equals out to about 9 or 10 individuals who drown every day. For each death, there are also up to four non-fatal incidents whereas the victim requires hospitalization, and in most cases, the drowning of a child occurs when he or she is being supervised at a swimming pool.When considering swimming pool accidents and injuries from a legal perspective, such as filing a lawsuit against the at-fault individual (or individuals, businesses, etc) to cover injury-related damages, it's important to consider liability.Generally, there are several issues associated with swimming pools that could indicate liability, such as:
- Faulty or defective equipment, such as damaged pool ladders, broken security fences, defective pool lights, and so on.
- Missing equipment, such as warning or hazard signs, throwing ropes, buoys, ladders, etc.
- Negligent pool maintenance, such as negligent water conditions that lead to disease or illness, improper chemical use, broken concrete or other sharp objects associated with the pool infrastructure, etc.
- Negligent pool staffing, such as poorly trained or understaffed lifeguards or a lack of lifeguards without proper signage.
When swimming pool owners, whether public or private, fail to maintain a safe environment, and that failure results in serious injury or death, then the swimming pool owner may be held negligent for his/her actions, or lack thereof.
Safety Tips for Homeowners with Pools
Public pools in Kansas City have a degree of responsibility when keeping their guests as safe as possible. From the lifeguards' training to the condition and maintenance of the pool, public swimming pools must meet state and federal regulations. Failure to meet these regulations or respond to an emergency (like a reasonable individual or entity would do) could result in a serious lawsuit.As a homeowner and a private swimming pool owner, however, you can dramatically reduce the risk of swimming pool accidents by considering the following factors. These factors, which were developed by the CDC, can influence a person's chance of drowning, and they include:
- Having barriers, such as four-sided fencing around a swimming pool, can reduce the risk of drowning by about 80 percent, compared to pools secured with only three-sided fencing.
- Ensuring comprehensive supervision can reduce drowning, and children are more likely to drown or get injured when they are swimming without supervision; however, swimming-related death or injury can occur when there is supervision (77 percent of home drowning accidents occurred when the child had been missing for no more than 5 minutes, only to be found in the pool).
- Learning how to swim and swimming instruction, which includes pool safety tips, can create both children and adults who are less likely to drown or get injured.
Some addition safety measures can include:
- Ensuring that the fence is secure with no openings larger than four inches; consider including a self-latching and self-closing gate equipped with an alarm for when the pool is not in use.
- Prohibiting or limiting the use of alcohol around the pool
- Limiting the number of guests swimming at one time
- Putting up warning signs and blocking off dangerous areas
Contact Popham Law Today for KC's Top Legal Representation
At Popham Law, we wish everyone in Kansas City the safest and most fun-filled summer yet, but if you or a loved one experienced a severe injury or death due to the fault and/or negligence of a private or public swimming pool owner, then don't hesitate to call the personal injury attorneys at Popham Law today. We offer comprehensive, compassionate, and aggressive representation and litigation to fight for a full and fair compensation. For a free consultation with our downtown Kansas City personal injury law firm, call us today at (844) 243-2288.
