Though pools are great recreational areas for families and friends alike to have fun and exercise, they can also be quite dangerous. If the pool area is not designed or maintained properly, slip and fall injuries may occur. When pool drains are not well-covered, young swimmers may suffer devastating pool drain injuries or even death. If a capable and watchful lifeguard is not on duty, then drowning may occur.
Clearly, pool owners owe a very high duty of care to their visitors. When they fail to follow through on this responsibility, all pool guests are put at risk of suffering dangerous and preventable injuries.
Slip and Fall Injuries
Pool sides are often quite slippery because they are, more often than not, covered in water. It is the pool owner’s responsibility to post rules about reckless poolside behavior, to have personnel on duty enforcing these rules, and to ensure that the ground around the pool is not dangerously slick. If this means using different material around the pool, then the owner will need to do so.
Pool Drain Injuries
Beginning in December of 2008, all public pools were required to have Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved covers installed over their drains. This law was established in an effort to prevent tragic accidents such as entrapments and eviscerations.
You may not realize it, but pool drain systems are extremely powerful. Without the right safety products mounted over them, these features pose the potential to suck a small child or adult against them, pull out internal organs, and entrap the victim.
Horrific Pool Drain Injuries
The injuries caused by pool drains can be quite horrifying. Young children in particular have most commonly fallen victim to the hazards posed by these in-pool systems. They lack the knowledge to avoid such hazards and the strength to pull away when sucked down against them.
The dangers posed by pool drains include the following:
- Hair Entrapment: Having one’s hair sucked into the drain, where it becomes entangled and traps the victim underwater
- Body Entrapment: Having a body part, such as an arm or the torso, sucked against the drain, leaving the victim trapped and unable to pull free
- Disembowelment/Evisceration: Trapping the victim against the drain and pulling out his or her internal organs
If the public pool you visit has neglected to install the required (and costly) pool drain covers, then your child has been put in danger. Contact the New York City personal injury lawyers of Orlow, Orlow & Orlow, P.C. to learn more about you rights in this situation.
Contact NYC Pool Injury Lawyers Today!
If you have suffered a pool-related injury as the result of the pool owner or manager’s negligence, then you may have the right to claim compensation. The New York City personal injury lawyers of The Orlow Firm have the experience to help you make a strong and effective case.