Swimming pools are the best places to cool down when temperatures start to soar in Las Vegas. From swimming pools in luxury hotels to public pools, there is no shortage of fantastic swimming pools in Sin City.
Pool parties are one of the latest fads in Las Vegas. They take place during the day in certain hotels around the city and involve DJs, many drinks, and beautiful people. Las Vegas pool parties start at the end of March and continue until October.
Swimming pools and pool parties often become the sites of injury-causing severe accidents when proper safety measures are ignored. Swimming pool owners and pool party operators are legally obligated to ensure their pools and surrounding areas are free from harm and in a reasonably safe condition for patrons, visitors, and guests.
What Is Drowning?
Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid.
Fatal drowning happens when the drowning results in death.
Non-fatal drowning happens when a person survives a drowning incident with a range of outcomes, from no injuries to severe injuries or permanent disability.
Drowning remains the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for young children in Southern Nevada. On average, eight children have drowned each year in Southern Nevada since 2000.
Leading Causes Of Swimming Pool Accidents In Las Vegas
Swimming pool accidents result in devastating injuries and even death. Some of the reasons for these accidents include the following:
Lack of Supervision
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that drowning can occur in just five minutes if a child is left unsupervised in the vicinity of a pool. Lack of supervision is by far the leading cause of swimming pool accidents. Accidents increase drastically when there is no lifeguard on duty, or the lifeguard is not adequately trained.
Slip and falls
Some significant factors contributing to slips and falls in and around a swimming pool include wet or waxed floors, inadequate lighting around the swimming pool, warning signs not posted on known dangerous areas, and loose steps, ladders, and ladders and handrails in the swimming pool.
Intoxication
Consumption of Alcohol in and around a swimming pool can lead to impaired judgment and lack of coordination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol accounts for 70% of water-related recreation deaths.
Lack Of Fencing Around The Swimming Pool
Owners are duty-bound to install proper fencing around the entire swimming pool area. The presence of fences is known to reduce the risk of swimming pool accidents substantially. A four-sided fence with self-closing or self-latching gates can prevent children from getting close to the pool.
You can click on the link below to learn all about Nevada swimming pool fence regulations:
Defective Equipment
Defective Equipment or parts can cause sudden and serious accidents resulting in severe injuries. Pools need to be regularly inspected to ensure all Equipment is functioning correctly.
Under Federal Law, all pools must be installed with anti-entrapment devices that prevent a swimmer’s clothing, hair, or limbs from getting tangled or caught in a drain.
Some other reasons for swimming pool accidents include overcrowding in swimming pools or at pool parties, lack of ability to swim, failure to wear life jackets, swimming pool chemical injuries, etc.
To know more about the Southern Nevada rules and regulations that govern swimming pools, click on the link below:
https://www.snwa.com/landscapes/pools-and-spas/index.html
Liability In A Las Vegas Swimming Pool Accident
Liability for Las Vegas swimming pool accidents depends on the premise liability laws in Nevada. Pool owners, whether private or public , can be held liable when visitors, patrons, or swimmers are injured. Owners of public pools have the additional responsibility of complying with state and Federal regulations to keep their pools safe and equipped with the latest safety devices.
Significant factors that help to determine liability include whether the injured party was a trespasser or a guest, whether the pool was a public or a private pool, and what caused the injury.
Apart from the owner of the pool, various other persons and entities that can be held liable for a swimming pool accident include the pool manager or operator, lifeguard/s, pool maintenance company, pool equipment company, pool construction company, government agency, or any individual or group of individuals for being reckless or for preventing a lifeguard from fulfilling his or her duty.
Nevada Attractive Nuisance Doctrine
The law in Nevada considers children too young to understand the risks and consequences of drowning. Nevada law holds property owners accountable for maintaining an “attractive nuisance. “
An attractive nuisance is any object or property that makes children curious and attracts them toward that object or property. Swimming pools are a prime example of an attractive problem.
Contact A Las Vegas Swimming Pool Accident Lawyer
At Pacific West Injury Law, we understand the emotional issues involved with drowning cases and near-fatal instances of drowning. We are committed to providing families with the support, legal advice, and help they need during this difficult time.
Families should never endure the pain of a drowning or non-fatal drowning accident alone. We are grateful for our clients’ trust in our Las Vegas personal injury law firm during this tough time in their lives.
Time is of the essence in swimming pool accident cases.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a swimming pool accident in Las Vegas, Henderson, or North Las Vegas due to the negligent actions of someone else or a violation of Nevada regulations for swimming pools, an experienced Las Vegas swimming pool accident lawyer can guide and assist you to recover compensation for the injuries suffered and the pain and anguish that you have had to endure.
Call an experienced swimming pool accident lawyer at our firm for a free case evaluation immediately to get started on your case.