Community Pool Injuries
Community pools are spaces shared by multiple people. They generally consist of pools at apartment buildings, condos, neighborhoods, hotels, and even municipal facilities. If someone is injured at a community pool, confusion may arise about who is liable. While some pool injuries are true accidents and cannot constitute a personal injury case, others may happen because someone has failed to keep the area reasonably safe. As a personal injury lawyer can share, an accident at a pool can be detailed and confusing, but a lawyer can help you work through the situation.
Common Hazards That Lead To Injury Claims
The first and biggest issue at a pool is how slippery the area becomes as people frequent it. You may have noticed that many pools have signs warning about how slick the surface around the pool can become when wet. If you or a loved one falls at a pool with a warning sign such as this, your case can be difficult to prove. However, if you can show that another preventable hazard was not managed, then you can pursue an injury claim. For example, perhaps there was a crack in the surface, mats were placed too loosely around the pool, or the pool staff failed to clean up a spill of food and drink. It helps your case if someone else previously complained about this issue, and whoever manages the area did nothing to fix it.
Another issue can arise with equipment around the pool, such as ladders, handrails, steps, and other features. If a diving board comes loose when you go to use it, then you might be able to pursue a case. If a cracked handrail causes you to slip and cut your hand open, you may have a case. It is important to note that these cases may go beyond the pool owner and reach the manufacturer. For example, if the company that created the diving boards knew there was an issue with screws loosening over time and did nothing to inform the pool owners, they could be held liable. This is why it is imperative to work with an attorney, as our friends at Cohen & Cohen strongly encourage: your case may go beyond a simple injury at a local pool to a larger level involving an international manufacturer.
These, of course, are only two examples of injuries. Others may include chemical burns from mismanaged pools, cuts from debris, trips from poor lighting, and these may even include cases such as drowning from gates that do not lock properly and fail to keep people out of the pool area.
Who Is Liable
Liability depends upon your specific injury. For example, an HOA may be responsible if it maintains the pool, an apartment complex owner may be responsible if it offers the pool as an amenity to tenants, and even a property management company may be liable if it is responsible for regular inspections. Community pool cases involve many moving parts and parties. If you or someone you love has been injured recently at a community pool, you must speak with an attorney near you as soon as possible so that you can see if you have a personal injury case.