Swimming pools offer great relief from the hot summer heat and humidity. If you don’t have a pool of your own, you might go to a friend’s house, hotel, or local city park. This can be fun and relaxing. At the same time, you’re putting a lot of trust in whoever owns and maintains that pool. You’re relying on them to keep you and your family safe.
What happens if you or your kids get hurt while swimming or using someone else’s pool? What can you do to protect yourself? Do you have the right to recover compensation for your swimming pool accident injuries?
These are all important questions. We dive into the answers below.
Steps to Take After a Swimming Pool Accident in Los Angeles
Keep these tips in mind to protect yourself and any future legal injury claim you might have.
Get Your Injuries Checked Out By a Doctor
Don’t brush off your injuries. If you fell or were submerged underwater for any period of time, you could have sustained some serious internal injuries. These could get worse if you delay seeking medical help. When you see a doctor, you’ll also be establishing a link between your accident and injuries. The medical report generated by your visit can be critical when you decide to pursue compensation.
Take Pictures and Document the Scene
Why did you get hurt? Did you slip and fall on wet pavement or unsecured wires? Did your child fall into a pool because there was no protective barrier or fence? Take pictures of the circumstances that led to your swimming pool accident. As time goes on, your memory and recollection of the accident will fade. Getting a snapshot of the scene of your accident will help down the line.
Refuse Early Settlement Discussions
If you got hurt on a commercial property, you might be approached by an insurance company not long after your accident. Be cautious in discussing your accident with them. They’re probably trying to find a way to deny or limit your payout. They want to finalize your claim before you have the chance to discuss your case with a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.
Negotiating a claim or accepting an early offer might get you money now, but it could actually do more harm than good in the long run. Talk to an attorney first. Better yet, let your lawyer negotiate a settlement for you.
Contact a Lawyer For Help
Hiring an attorney is a smart move after you’ve gotten hurt in someone else’s swimming pool. This is particularly true if you got hurt at a friend’s home. It can be hard to ask for compensation from someone you know and trust. Fortunately, you don’t have to. You can hire an attorney to do the hard work for you. When you hire a lawyer, you can benefit from their experience and tenacity. All you have to do is make the call.
Can I Get Money After a Swimming Pool Accident?
Maybe. When someone has a swimming pool on their property, whether it’s a private home or municipal park, the owner has a responsibility to keep others safe. You shouldn’t have to be overly concerned about your wellbeing and safety while you’re trying to relax and have fun. You should trust that the pool is reasonably safe and that safeguards are in place to protect you and your family.
If a swimming pool owner fails to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition, they might be liable if you get hurt. This can be true, even if your young kids trespassed and snuck onto a property with a pool.
The best thing to do is to consult an experienced Los Angeles swimming pool accident lawyer for help. Your attorney will review the circumstances surrounding your premises liability accident and explain your legal rights.
For more information, call our law firm at (424) 248-2700 or visit our contact us page to send us an email.