Washington Swimming Pool Drowning Liability - Attorneys Helping Families of Drowning Victims

Swimming pools are a popular way to keep cool during the warm summer months in Washington, and they are an especially strong draw for children who are not in school during that time. Unfortunately, swimming pools are also inherently dangerous, which means that when accidents occur, serious consequences soon follow.

Below is an overview of the issues surrounding pool accidents and drowning, legal theories under which a claim for such an incident can be brought, what to do after such an incident occurs and ultimately how you should proceed if you've been affected by this sort of incident.

Legal Theories Surrounding Pool Accidents / Drowning

Generally, there could be as many as three different legal theories that could be used to bring a claim for liability based on a pool accident or a drowning. Each is briefly explained below:
  • Premises Liability - Clearly, a property owner has a duty to keep his or her property safe from unreasonable dangers to the visitors that frequent the property. This is particularly true when someone owns a swimming pool, as it's quite foreseeable that the pool will be an attraction. Therefore, those who use the pool would usually be considered licensees, which means that they must be protected against unseen dangers either by removing those dangers if possible or by clearly warning those licensees of those risks if they cannot be removed.

  • Products Liability - Aside from the liability that the property owner would likely face, it's also possible that manufacturers and/or distributors of the swimming pool or the parts used with it could be liable. For instance, if a diving board is installed and someone steps onto it reasonably and without jumping, but the board snaps and the person is injured in the fall, the manufacturer of the diving board could be liable for injuries.

  • Wrongful Death - If someone dies as a result of drowning, it's obviously an irreversible tragedy. There could be many reasons for a swimming pool drowning, but if the owners or overseers of the property where the pool exists were negligent in their oversight and management of that property, it could lead to liability for wrongful death.

How to Deal with a Swimming Pool Accident or Drowning in Washington

If you or someone you love has been injured in a pool accident or someone has drowned, there are steps you should take to make sure that your rights are properly protected when you decide to meet with an attorney. Below are a few suggestions regarding how this should be handled:
  1. Documentation - After the incident, make sure to write down the identities of everyone involved with what happened, including the owners of the property and any witnesses to the incident.

  2. Communication - Make sure you are in touch with the police, assuming they reported to file a report, so that you can have access to any documentation they have on file in regards to the incident in question.

  3. Organization - Gather and organize all of the other documents that could lead to evidence in any legal claim. This would include any medical bills, coroner reports and/or insurance policies that will help you provide corroboration of what happened and what you face in terms of damages as a result.

Seattle Washington Pool Drowning Lawyer and Claim Info

After you have done what you can to make sure that you have everything that's potentially relevant in your grasp, contact the pool accident/drowning lawyers at the Washington law firm of Phillips Webster to schedule a free initial consultation. Even if you cannot locate all of the items mentioned above, do not hesitate to make that contact, as your attorney will be able to locate those items for you after you've agreed to work together. Contact the firm today to get the process of protecting and enforcing your rights started.
 



1-800-ABOGADO

Phillips Webster es la firma de abogados de Washington y nuetros abogados experimentados lo pueden ayudar.   Si usted se ha lastimado en un accidente,  si necesita declararse en bancarrota o necesita que le ayudemos a negociar su deudas, podemos ayudarlo.

Hablemos Españo; 1-800-226-4236

 

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