Having a pool is a huge responsibility. Any property owner with a pool on their property has certain responsibilities to guests to keep the area around the pool dry and prevent injuries involving the pool. While drowning and injuries from diving are probably the first risk people associate with pools, there is also a huge possibility of slip and fall injuries related to swimming pools.
If you or a loved one stayed at a hotel and was injured near the pool in a slip and fall accident, call the Miami hotel pool slip and fall injury lawyer at Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA today. Prosper Shaked represents injury victims in personal injury lawsuits against even the largest corporations like hotels and resorts. For a free legal consultation on your injury case, call our law offices today at (305) 694-2676.
Common Causes for Slip and Falls at Miami Hotel Pools
Pools are incredibly common at hotels and resorts in Miami. While bad weather is not typically an issue, many Miami hotels may also have indoor pools so that guests can still swim in bad weather or at night. Regardless of where the pool is located, injuries can result when hotel workers fail to keep the pool area safe.
Especially when there are a lot of people in a pool or a lot of children splashing around, pools can track water around the entire surrounding area. This can mean finding wet surfaces not only in the immediate vicinity of the pool but also in any areas surrounding the pool – or even in hallways and walkways leading to and from the pool area. With these areas becoming wet and slippery, the hotel has a few duties and responsibilities it must follow to ensure safety. Violating these duties could cause serious injuries the hotel could be liable for.
Generally, hotel staff has a duty to warn guests about wet, slippery surfaces. Signs that say “Caution: Wet Floor” are commonly used – potentially in multiple languages – to warn guests that the area is wet. While this may seem redundant so close to a pool, guests may not realize they are in the pool area or so close to the water, and hotels should still put up signs in wet areas. Especially since water can be tracked very far from the pool, these signs are essential to keeping patrons safe from slipping in wet areas and facing injuries.
Warnings can help prevent injuries, but in many cases cleaning up the water is better. Especially if there is a large volume of water in the pool area, it is important for the hotel staff to send in janitors and custodians to help keep the area dry and prevent unnecessary slip and falls.
Lastly, the flooring materials used in the area around the pool can reduce or increase the risk of slipping and falling. Rough concrete is one of the most common flooring materials around pools because it helps people maintain sure footing even when the floor is wet or they are barefoot. Other materials may be much slipperier, and using unsafe flooring materials or unsafe mats to try to prevent falls can actually cause injuries. Slick tile flooring is especially dangerous, even if there is a warning sign. Hotels might still be responsible for injuries if their flooring is not safe to put around a pool or violates local building codes. Similarly, many types of mats and carpets are supposed to absorb water and help prevent slipping but actually increase the risk of falling. Hotels should be held liable if they use dangerous floor mats near swimming pools.
Suing a Hotel for Swimming Pool Slip and Fall Injuries
You may be able to sue a hotel for injuries related to the pool. Many hotels have a “swim at your own risk” policy, which might help absolve them of blame in some cases. Still, hotels are required to hire lifeguards and cleaning staff to keep patrons safe in and around the pool, and failing to do so might make them liable for the damages the victim faces.
If you slip and fall near a pool, you could face serious injuries. Hitting your head during a fall can cause severe brain injuries or even fatal injuries. Falling on your back or spine can cause serious damages to the spinal cord or other back injuries that cause ongoing pain and suffering.
If you fall into the pool, you could also hit your head on a railing, the pool bottom, a ladder, a railing, or another swimmer, potentially suffering injuries. If you are injured in the water, you could face additional injuries from lack of oxygen or even death due to drowning.
These harms often require medical treatment. If your injuries were severe, the medical care could be extremely expensive. Your insurance might be able to cover some of these costs, but you should not have to pay a cent for injuries someone else caused you through their negligence. If the hotel was at fault for your injuries, our pool injury lawyers can help you file a lawsuit against the pool to cover these medical costs.
In addition to medical expenses, you should be able to claim any damages related to the injury. This commonly includes lost wages if the injury was severe enough to keep you from working and damages for the pain and suffering the injury caused you.
Call Our Miami Pool Injury Lawyers for a Free Legal Consultation
For help understanding what your claim might be worth and how to file your personal injury case, call Miami hotel pool injury lawyer Prosper Shaked today. It is important to talk to a lawyer who can help you fight your case against the insurance companies and legal teams from big hotel chains. The compensation you claim in court could be higher than the damages you receive in a settlement or insurance claim, so it is vital to talk to a lawyer about bringing your injury case to court. To learn more about filing your case on time, maximizing your financial compensation, and scheduling a free legal consultation, call Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA today at (305) 694-2676.