Many people enjoy going to public pools in the summer as a form of recreation, to get some exercise, and to beat the heat. Importantly, pool owners have a duty of care to ensure their premises are kept in a safe condition. This includes not only the pool itself, but also the surrounding deck, food service stations, and other areas. If the owner or another responsible party fails to do so, they could be held liable for any injuries resulting from their negligence. If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident at a public pool, you might be eligible to recover compensation for your damages.
Causes of Slip and Falls at Public Pools
Due to slippery surfaces from pool water accumulation and the use of cleaning chemicals, various areas around the pool can be hazardous. If these areas are not mopped and properly maintained, slip and fall accidents can happen that result in serious injuries.
Some common causes of slip and falls at public pools include:
- Food and beverage spills
- Uneven surfaces
- Missing or defective rubber mats
- Spilled sunscreen or tanning oil
- Poor maintenance
- Broken tiles
- Leaks
- Inadequate lighting
- Slippery diving boards
Many public pool slip and fall accidents are preventable by exercising due care and taking the proper safety precautions. If the pool owner knew about a hazardous condition — or should have known about it through reasonable inspection — and failed to remedy it, they may be held liable for any injuries that arise due to their negligence. They may also be held liable for failure to warn about a dangerous condition. For instance, a “wet floor” sign should be placed in areas being mopped or where water is known to accumulate.
Liability and Damages in a Public Pool Slip and Fall
Depending on the circumstances, a public pool slip and fall can result in serious injuries, such as broken bones, lacerations, nerve damage, paralysis, brain injury, or even fatality. Often, the injuries that arise due to these types of accidents require extensive medical treatment and result in a significant amount of time lost from work. Your injuries might also prevent you from spending time with your family and engaging in the activities you once enjoyed. By filing a personal injury action, you may be able to hold the pool owner or another responsible party accountable for your economic and non-economic damages based on premises liability.
Liability for a public pool slip and fall accident depends on the facts and circumstances surrounding it. In some cases, there may be a party other than the pool owner who should be held liable. In the event a municipality owned the pool, they might be named in the lawsuit. If a defective floor mat was the cause of the accident, the manufacturer might be accountable. Other potentially liable parties might include cleaning companies, a contracted food concession service company, or a maintenance company.
Economic damages in a premises liability lawsuit for a slip and fall accident are meant to compensate for the monetary losses you suffered. This can include unreimbursed medical expenses, lost wages, and the out-of-pocket costs you may have incurred with your medical treatment. Non-economic damages are also known as “pain and suffering” damages — these damages are meant to compensate for the physical pain, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life you experienced due to your slip and fall injuries.
Contact an Experienced New York Personal Injury Attorney
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident at a public pool, you may be eligible to recover your damages by filing a personal injury action. A knowledgeable slip and fall attorney can protect your rights and work to recover the compensation you may be entitled to under the law. The Dearie Law Firm, P.C. has represented victims of negligence for three decades and works diligently to secure the best possible results in each of their unique cases.
The Dearie Law Firm, P.C. has convenient office locations in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, as well as mobile locations serving Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, Nassau County, and Suffolk County. Contact us today for a consultation.