My Child Slipped at a Swimming Pool and Suffered a Debilitating Injury. Can I Sue?

 Posted on June 13, 2022 in Premises Liability

As schools let out for the summer, children all across Illinois will spend much more time swimming in public and private pools. For the most part, time spent swimming is a great way to keep kids occupied and with proper supervision, training, and equipment, swimming can be a safe activity. 

However, swimming pools in Illinois must strictly adhere to legal construction standards. The expense and labor involved in maintaining swimming pools mean cracks, uneven or slippery surfaces, and other hazards may go unaddressed. In turn, this exposes people - especially children - to the risk of slip-and-fall injuries that can be serious and even lethal. 

Common Swimming Pool Accidents

By far, the most common swimming pool injuries occur when bathers slip or trip and fall on surfaces that do not have proper anti-slip resistance or are uneven because of poor construction or maintenance. The location and speed of the slip can vary, and children who fall while running can suffer serious injuries and even death.

Children may be injured when they unexpectedly:

• Trip on uneven concrete or other surfaces 
• Slip while on the diving board, causing a bather to hit the board or other surfaces below
• Slip on stairs leading up to a diving board
• Slip and hit their head on the side of the pool
• Slip and fall into a deeper part of the pool than the bather can safely swim in

Common Swimming Pool Injuries

Swimming pool injuries can range from mild - those requiring only rest or a few stitches - to severe and even life-threatening. The most common swimming pool injuries include: 

• Drowning 
• Near-drowning
• Brain damage
• Broken and fractured bones
• Neck and spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
• Concussions
• Contusions, lacerations, and muscle tears 

Recovering from swimming pool injuries can be an expensive and time-consuming process. Sadly, certain injuries never allow for a full recovery and parents may spend the rest of their lives caring for a child injured in a pool accident. These consequences are all the more painful when the accident could have been avoided with proper pool safety and maintenance on the part of the swimming pool owner. 

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Winnebago County Personal Injury Lawyer

Swimming pools are great sources of fun, but without the proper precautions, they can turn an exciting experience into a nightmare. If your child has suffered a serious injury at a public or private swimming pool, consider taking action to hold the responsible party to account. At Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, our Rockford swimming pool injury attorneys can help you conduct an investigation of the incident and so you can get the damages to which you are entitled. Call us today at 815-215-7561 to schedule a free consultation and learn more. 

Source: 

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2048&ChapterID=57