Summertime Pool Safety Can Reduce Serious Injuries

Summer’s here, which means outdoor fun in the sun. And as temperatures rise, many of us will be cooling off at our favorite swimming pools. While a visit to a public watering hole or a friend’s backyard pool might seem like the perfect way to spend those long, warm summer days, lack of supervision is one of the leading causes of swimming-related accidents. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year there are more than 200,000 swimming-related injuries in the United States. Without proper supervision, adults and children can suffer preventable injuries, such as slip-and-falls or diving board and slide accidents.

While we should all know pool safety is important, many of us forget that wet grass, cement or wooden decks surrounding a pool can also cause serious injuries. In the case of your neighbor’s pool, it’s the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that everything’s been done to make the pool and surrounding areas safe. Under Colorado law, those who enter property with the landowner’s permission (like those swimming in a neighbor’s pool) are called licensees, or social guests, and the property owner has a duty to use reasonable care to warn guests of any foreseeable or known dangerous conditions. If a property owner is responsible for injuries sustained in a slip-and-fall, or other pool-related, accident you may be able to recover compensation caused by their negligence.

Knowing how to avoid injuries in and around the pool is the best way to keep you and your family safer this summer. Following these five tips can show you how.

• Enforce safe behaviors such as walking slowly around pool areas to avoid slipping on water that can accumulate on decks, patios and around the pool’s edge.
• Actively supervise children in and around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention.
• Since each year more than 1,800 spinal cord injuries result from diving accidents, do not dive in shallow water because more than 50 percent of all diving injuries occur in water 4 feet or shallower. Only dive from a diving board in a minimum recommended water depth of 9 feet.
• Remove pool toys, balls or goggles from around the pool edge to avoid unnecessary accidents.
• Children should avoid pushing or rough-housing near swimming pools, on diving boards or slides because this dangerous behavior can quickly lead to an otherwise preventable injury.

Even after taking the necessary precautions, accidents can still occur. A Denver personal injury lawyer can help you determine whether an injury was the result of another’s negligence. A knowledgeable Denver personal injury lawyer will evaluate your situation, estimate what damages you may be entitled to, and help you achieve a positive outcome.