Swimming Pool Accident, Injury or Infection?

Our Orlando Injury Lawyers are Here to Help

Swimming pool related accidents, infections and injuries account for next to the highest causes of death and catastrophic injury, second only to car accidents and truck accidents, in the country. The Florida Department of Health reports the state of Florida as holding the sad distinction of the largest number of accidental drowning and subsequent possible brain injuries and spinal cord injuries near drowning consequences, for children under the age of five in the United States. Children and adults have the right to expect swimming pools, spas, whirlpools, and recreational water areas to have proper supervision and safety measures in place. With nearly 45 years protecting the rights of the Orlando and surrounding area communities, our Orlando spinal injury attorneys have the experience, the compassion, and the legal knowledge to recognize when a devastating swimming pool accident or infection is due to negligence on the part of another individual or group. Wooten, Kimbrough & Normand, P.A. is valued throughout Florida for impressive successes, and for the exceptional personal care, attention, and concern afforded to each client during the pursuit of justice and compensation for a preventable swimming pool accident.

Orlando Swimming Pool Accidents Can Result in Serious Spinal Cord and Brain Injury

Swimming pools and other recreational water areas pose safety risks under the best of circumstances. Inattention to any safety measure can result in a slip or fall or near drowning and catastrophic injury to the brain or spine resulting in a lifetime of necessary medical treatments, rehabilitation, equipment, and the inability to provide an income. Lack of maintenance or proper chemical levels in the pool, such as chlorine, can allow disease to thrive and spread in the pool. Some common causes of preventable accidents that result in a blow to the head include the following:

• Lack of, hidden, or unreadable warning signage – Shallow water, possible dangers
• Faulty equipment – Diving board, drain gate, ladder, pool drain cover
• Lack of fencing around pool
• No lifeguard, or “swim at your own risk” sign in absence of lifeguard
• Unqualified lifeguard
• Incompletely filled pool
• Improper pool bottom maintenance – Slippery, murky from debris
• Unmarked shallow or deep water areas
• Accessory manufacturer defects – flotation devices, water slides
• Improperly maintained environment around pool – Poor lighting, buckled walkways, loose handrails

Swimming pool and spa tub related infections

Swimming pools and spa tubs, if not properly, maintained can cause severe infection and/or death.  One of the most deadly of these infections is Legionnaires disease.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that the number of Legionnaires cases each year ranges from 8,000 to 20,000, and has a mortality rate of 5% to 30%. 

Legionalla bacteria, the cause of Legionnaires disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria that is often water-borne and unfortunately, is invisible to the naked eye.  It usually enters the body by inhaling a mist or steam, such as that from an improperly maintained spa tub, swimming pool or steam room.  So as you sit in a spa tub with the bubbles and steam rising, you may inhaling a potentially deadly bacteria.  Or as was the case with the first recognized case of Legionnaires, the source can even be an outdated air conditioning system.  The most common site for the cause of the infection appears to be cruise ships, hotels or hospitals.

Swimming pools are also put you at risk for infection due to water contamination.  The CDC even has a name for it – Recreational Water Illness (RWI). The contamination can be environmental, meaning it may have been blown or rained into the pool, or it may be swimmer-related.  Proper chemical and Ph levels are the only way to control the contaminants in a pool, and even then, there are risks.   According to the CDC –

• Cryptosporidiosis, a bacteria causing diarrheal disease, can last for days even in a properly chlorinated pool.
• Hot rash, or dermatitis, is most often caused by  the Pseudomonas aeruginosa germ in a  improperly maintained hot tub
• Swimmer’s ear can also be the result of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa germ
• Interactive fountains and water play areas can be a source for these same germs as the water is recycled through a holding tank

Choosing the Right Orlando Swimming Pool Accident Law Firm

Choosing the right law firm to help and guide you through the complex legal, factual, and evidentiary issues surrounding a swimming pool accident or infection is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. We are proud of our statewide reputation for excellence. It is a reputation built on continued integrity, experience, knowledge, compassion, community, and fierce dedication to you, our client.

Your personal Orlando brain injury attorney takes the time to learn about you, your tragedy, and your needs. You are not “handed off” to an assistant or a paralegal. The strength of our successes enables us the capital resources to extensively, and aggressively pursue justice and compensation for you or your loved one. For a free consultation, and to learn how we can help you, please contact an Orlando spinal cord injury lawyer at Wooten, Kimbrough & Normand, P.A. today.