Traveling with kids can be fun but also challenging. Kids often need to be entertained on a constant basis and so you want to plan your trip with that in mind. For this reason, many parents try to specifically book reservations at hotels that have swimming pools and hot tubs. While many stays at hotels happen without incident, some families experience serious and even tragic accidents at hotel pools.
In many situations, hotels can be held liable for the losses your family suffered if your child was involved in a swimming pool accident on the premises. Whether the pool accident involved near-drowning, drowning, or other types of injuries, it is critical that you discuss what happened with a highly experienced premises liability attorney who understands how to help victims of swimming pool accidents recover for their losses.
Injuries Resulting from Hotel Pool Accidents
Many types of injuries can occur in or around swimming pools, many of which can be severe or fatal. Some examples of pool injuries can include the following:
- Brain damage from oxygen deprivation (anoxia1 or hypoxia2)
- Traumatic brain injury from head trauma
- Broken bones
- Burns and electrocution injuries
- Evisceration
- Death
As you can see, many of the injuries caused by pool accidents are highly serious and can have an extreme effect on your family. As a result, you should always seek information regarding whether you can hold a hotel responsible for the swimming pool accident and injuries.
How Hotels Can Be Negligent
In some cases, a swimming pool accident is just that – an accident that no one could have prevented. However, in many instances, a pool accident happens because the hotel was negligent in some manner. The following are only some ways in which a hotel can be negligent regarding a swimming pool or hot tub:
- Defective gate and/or latch – Laws require that pool at hotels have fences or other enclosure with specific doors or gates that lock or latch. This is largely to keep unattended children from wandering into the pool area and falling into the pool. If a hotel has a door with a broken lock or a gate with a broken latch, it can be responsible for accidents that result.
- Inadequate warnings – Most hotel pools do not have lifeguards on duty. However, there must be adequate warnings of such posted in the pool area. In addition, hotels must post any other applicable warnings (such as “no diving”) or rules, as well as have obvious depth markers around the pool so parents know to keep their kids in shallow waters if needed.
- Diving board accidents – If a hotel pool has a diving board, it must be properly inspected and maintained. If a diving board is broken in any way, anyone using the diving board can fall off and hit their head or hurt another part of their body.
- Slip and fall accidents – Hotels should ensure that the area surrounding the pool is not slippery and does not have tools or debris in walkways. If there are dangerous surfaces around the pool, guests can slip and fall causing traumatic injuries or may even fall into the pool, causing near-drowning or drowning accidents.
- Drain accidents – Pool and hot tub drains can be very dangerous if they are not in compliance with relevant laws, such as the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act,3 people can become suctioned to the drain, which can result in evisceration and drowning.
- Other conditions inside the pool – Pools can have many other dangerous conditions including murky water, rough surfaces, incorrect chemicals, or other factors that can lead to drowning accidents or can make it difficult for parents to realize their child may be in trouble.
- Electrocutions – Hotel pools are often equipped with lights and other electrical components that can help increase safety – that is unless they are wired incorrectly or improperly maintained. In such cases, anyone in the pool may be electrocuted and may suffer injuries or drown as a result.
Call an Experienced Philadelphia Hotel Injuries Attorney for More Information Today
If you or your child was injured in a hotel pool, an experienced Philadelphia hotel accident lawyer can evaluate the situation and help identify any negligence and responsibility on the part of the hotel. Please do not hesitate to call The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss a possible case for free at 215-825-5183 today.