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With the sweltering summers and warm springs, swimming pools are a common sight in the area. Taking a quick dip can provide essential relief from the heat, serve as an excellent source of exercise, or be the focus of a neighborhood party.
If a landowner or company is hosting guests, they have an obligation to keep them safe. This includes warning people about potential hazards and establishing rules for safe use. Failures to live up to these obligations can leave the pool’s owner liable for any injury that results.
A qualified Beaufort premises liability lawyer could help you better understand swimming pool accidents in Beaufort. A Beaufort personal injury attorney could investigate the cause of your losses and demand that the pool owners provide fair compensation.
Types of Guests at a Pool
The pool owners are like any other business owners because whenever they invite guests to their property, they have a legal obligation to keep those guests safe. However, this obligation changes depending on the relationship between the guest and the owner.
Licensees
If someone is visiting somewhere as a social guest, they are a licensee. This means that the pool’s owner must only protect guest from hazards that they know about. For example, if a puddle of water near the edge of a pool sits for several hours, and someone slips because of it, the owner should have known about it. However, if a puddle only sits for a few minutes, then it would be reasonable if an owner does not know about it.
While it can be easy to assume that an owner would know about standing water, it can be difficult to show that a guest did not fall because of their own carelessness. To find out if an owner is liable for someone’s injuries, a Beaufort attorney could assess the details of a swimming pool accident.
Invitees
By contrast, pools that invite guests for a fee, such as public pools or hotel owners, owe a higher duty of care to visitors. These visitors are called “invitees” since they enter the land for the benefit of the owner. Here, the owners must take all reasonable steps to protect guests from foreseeable harm. This includes hazards that the owner knows about and those that they should know about.
Basic Information about Swimming Pool Incidents
Swimming pools and the areas around them are dangerous places. With people often moving around these premises barefoot or in flimsy sandals, it is essential that owners take proper steps to prevent harm. Unfortunately, falls remain a common occurrence.
Slips and falls that occur near pools are examples of premises liability cases. Premises liability law concerns the obligations of property owners to keep visitors safe from harm. Short trips to the ground can result in severe injuries, and this is especially true if someone falls on concrete foundations near a pool.
A comprehensive case will examine the totality of the event’s impact on a person’s life. It will also be sure to act within the state’s time limit for personal injury cases. According to South Carolina Code § 15-3-530, injured people have no more than three years after an incident to seek out compensation. Anyone in Beaufort seeking restitution for their losses should contact an attorney who focuses on pool liability injury cases as soon as possible.
Injuries in Beaufort Pool Accidents
Examples of physical injuries in Beaufort swimming pool incidents include:
- Separated joints
- Sprains
- Concussions
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Death
Negligent owners are liable to cover the cost of all necessary medical care. People hurt in a pool accident can also seek out compensation for lost quality of life and missing income.
Call an Attorney after a Swimming Pool Accident in Beaufort Now
Swimming pools can be dangerous places. Because of this, owners of them must take proper steps to maintain the land and protect people from temporary hazards. Sadly, this does not stop accidents from happening. Standing water, broken entry ladders, and slick surfaces may all cause falls that have a devastating effect on people’s lives.
If you have suffered harm after visiting a pool, you have the right to seek out compensation for your losses. An attorney may be able to help establish your rights under the law, investigate the reason for the injury, and hold negligent pool owners responsible. Call Schiller & Hamilton today to learn more.