injured leg from a swimming pool injury

Missouri summers are hot, so many people in St. Louis turn to swimming pools to help beat the heat and have some fun. Pools are both safe and enjoyable when their owners oversee and maintain them properly. Unfortunately, they can pose a significant risk of serious or life-threatening injury when they aren’t taken care of properly. 

When a swimming pool accident and injury arises due to a defective, dangerous, or hazardous condition in or around the pool, injured swimmers may be entitled to seek compensation from the pool’s owner or other responsible parties for the costs of their injuries. The negligent party’s insurance company could be required to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. 

If you believe you have a swimming pool injury claim, don’t try to pursue compensation alone. Swimming pool injury claims can be complex, especially when it comes to determining the pool owner’s compliance with state and local safety regulations. The pool owner may argue that your own negligence or recklessness caused your accident and injury. 

You need a swimming pool injury lawyer with the necessary knowledge and experience to hold the negligent pool owner or other party legally responsible for your injuries. You deserve the maximum compensation you are entitled to, and an attorney can help you pursue it. 

For more than a decade, Sansone & Lauber’s compassionate personal injury lawyers have fought to protect the rights and interests of injured people in St. Louis and throughout Missouri. Our attorneys do whatever it takes to help our clients seek full and fair compensation for their injuries caused by someone else’s negligence or recklessness. 

If you or a loved one have been injured in a swimming pool accident in St. Louis or surrounding areas, schedule a no-cost initial case review with the premises liability lawyers at Sansone & Lauber today. Learn more about how our attorneys can fight to win your case.

Swimming Pool Accidents in St. Louis

When someone is injured in a swimming pool accident at either a public pool or someone else’s private pool, the injured victim may have the right to pursue a premises liability personal injury claim. This claim allows you to demand compensation for your injuries from the at-fault party and their insurance company. 

In order to claim compensation from a pool owner, your attorney will need to show that the owner failed to keep the pool in a reasonably safe condition or failed to warn pool users of dangers or hazards in and around the pool. For example, a pool owner may be held liable if they failed to post depths along the sides of the pool. 

It’s important to consult with an attorney because pool owners may not bear liability for every injury that occurs at their pool. For example, if you’re hurt by a defective pool ladder or pool pump system, you may be able to pursue a defective product claim against the manufacturer or retailer of the defective equipment. 

Other situations may not allow you to pursue a claim at all. If you trespassed to use a pool and suffer an accident and injury, the pool owner likely would have no duty to protect or warn you against dangerous or hazardous conditions. This rule usually doesn’t apply to young children, since pool owners must take reasonable steps to prevent children’s unauthorized access by installing safety features like fences, locks, and pool covers.

Many Missouri jurisdictions require that public pools or pools open to the public (like hotel pools) be constructed to certain safety standards. These might include having appropriate warning signs against running, horseplay, or unsupervised use. They may also be required to have certain safety equipment on hand, like ring buoys. Many jurisdictions require that private pools be secured from unauthorized use by being fenced in or having safety covers.

Sometimes, the victim’s own actions contribute to swimming pool accidents, at least in part. Swimmers who consume alcohol, engage in rough horseplay or other unsafe activities around the pool, or fail to supervise children when advised or warned to do so may be partially at fault for their injuries. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a claim. 

Being found to bear partial fault for your swimming pool accident may trigger comparative negligence. This could reduce the amount of compensation you receive for your injuries and damages, but you may still be able to win some financial damages. An experienced swimming pool injury lawyer can help argue the pool owner’s claims that you bear responsibility for the accident.

Finally, publicly or government-owned pools are afforded certain protections. The public agency or government may be entitled to immunity from a lawsuit, or they may cap the amount of damages you can seek. When you’ve been injured at a public pool, speaking to an experienced personal injury attorney about your rights and options for seeking compensation is crucial.

Common Injuries in Swimming Pool Accidents

Swimming pool accidents can lead to injuries ranging from minor bumps to serious, life-threatening harm. Injuries commonly suffered in swimming pool accidents include:

  • Cuts
  • Bruises
  • Skin irritations and burns caused by pool chemicals
  • Soft-tissue injuries such as sprains or tears of tendons, ligaments, and muscles
  • Neck and back injuries such as herniations and ruptures of spinal discs
  • Broken bones
  • Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
  • Head trauma, including eye injuries
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Drowning

Common Causes of Swimming Pool Injuries

Swimming pool accidents occur when pool owners and operators fail to take care to properly maintain their pools, monitor and supervise their use, or prevent unauthorized access. Some of the most common causes of swimming pool accidents and injuries include:

  • Slip and fall accidents due to a lack of non-skid surfaces in areas where water might be carried or splashed out of the pool
  • Loose tiles or other tripping hazards
  • Falls from pool ladders due to faulty or broken equipment
  • Lack of supervision leading to accidents from drowning or horseplay
  • Lack of fencing or covers, allowing unsupervised children or trespassers to access the pool
  • Lack of anti-entrapment drain covers and other safety systems, allowing people to get caught on suction drains
  • Diving accidents, such as slipping and falling off a diving board, or diving into an excessively shallow deep end
  • Excessive alcohol consumption, which can lead to slip, trip, and fall accidents or drowning accidents

Compensation for Swimming Pool Accidents 

If you have been injured in a swimming pool accident at someone else’s pool, you may be entitled to compensation for the injuries and damages you have suffered. Compensation for swimming pool accidents may include:

  • Past and future medical treatment and care expenses, including hospital bills, surgeries, doctor’s office visits, other medical procedures, physical and occupational therapy, prescription medication, mobility equipment (like crutches or wheelchairs), other out-of-pocket expenses like transportation costs, co-pays, and deductibles, and costs of long-term care if you are disabled by your injuries, including alterations to your home or vehicle
  • Lost wages for missed time from work while recovering from your injuries
  • Lost earning capacity, if your injuries prevent you from returning to your old job or performing any type of gainful employment, leading you to suffer an indefinite or permanent reduction in your income as a result
  • Pain and suffering, or the physical and emotional anguish brought about by your injuries
  • Lost enjoyment or quality of life, caused by physical disfigurements or disability, or by the inability to perform daily tasks or participate in activities you previously enjoyed
  • Loss of consortium, which compensates your spouse for the loss of your companionship, services, and society

Hire an Experienced Premises Liability Lawyer for Help After a Swimming Pool Accident 

After you have suffered a swimming pool accident at a public pool or someone else’s property, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer in St. Louis who can help you pursue the financial compensation you need and deserve. 

At Sansone & Lauber, our St. Louis swimming pool accident attorneys can help you seek compensation for your swimming pool accident claim by:

  • Investigating the accident to recover evidence
  • Working with experts to develop strong, persuasive legal arguments proving the pool owner’s liability
  • Establishing your injuries and damages, including the full extent of your injuries and their cost so that we can be sure whatever result we obtain for you will fully compensate you now and into the future
  • Identifying liable parties, especially when your accident was caused by defective pool equipment
  • Finding potential sources of compensation, like insurance policies
  • Negotiating aggressively to seek a full and fair settlement of your damages
  • Never backing down when insurance companies reach into their bag of tricks to get you to accept less than the full amount of compensation you need and deserve
  • Preparing to take your claim to court or trial if it becomes necessary and presents the best chance at getting you the compensation you deserve

Contact a Swiming Pool Accident Attorney in St. Louis Now For Help!

Contact Sansone & Lauber now to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced St. Louis swimming pool injury lawyers to discuss the details of your case. You can learn more about how our skilled attorneys will help you pursue your legal right to secure the maximum financial recovery for your injuries today.