Piering Law Firm
Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Swimming Pool & Hot Tub Accidents

Swimming accidents claim the lives of over 1,000 children each year and accidents in swimming pools account for over 1/3 of the fatalities. Thousands of adults will also die or suffer catastrophic injury as a result of swimming mishaps this year. According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control ("CDC"), there number of accidents is on the rise.

The drowning rate for children under sixteen (16) was alarming and was actually twenty five (25%) percent of the total of all drowning accident deaths in the United States. According to the CDC, approximately three hundred and fifty (350) children five (5) years of age and under, suffer death from swimming pool drowning accidents every year. Drowning injury, such as death and coma, is the second highest cause of drowning wrongful death for the children five (5) years and under age group. Automobile and truck accidents are the second highest cause of death accident in this age group.

At the Piering Law Firm , we recognize this is a staggering statistic that cannot be ignored by a caring parent or property owner with a Jacuzzi hot tub, Jacuzzi bathtub, Whirlpool* hot tub, lap pool, or swimming pool. In fact, statistics also show that as of 2000, over two thousand, six hundred (2,600) small children are admitted to emergency care in hospitals, and treated for drowning incidents, like coma, brain injury, broken bones and contusions related to drowning incident accidents.

At least five thousand (5,000) additional small children suffer permanent injury like nerve damages requiring future medical care and treatment and expensive in house care or hospitalization for the permanent neurological disability. Most drowning injury occurs in backyard Jacuzzi hot tub, Whirlpools, other hot tubs, spas and other types of recreating water tubs like swimming pools, including shallow lap pools, for example.

Land owners with pools and exposed or open Jacuzzi hot tubs, generic hot tubs, Whirlpool hot tubs in their back yard are usually mandated by California law to fence the area surrounding the pool and to have special child proof gates and access areas.

Some cities and counties require:

*Five (5) Foot or Higher Fences;
*Gates with Building and Safety Code Certified Safety Latches;

Infrared motion detectors, snug pool covers and closed circuit camera systems can also help reduce the risk of the serious injuries arising from pool and jacuzzi cases.
Swimming pool and Jacuzzi hot tub accidents also include slip and fall on a slippery and slimy pool decking surface, that was not properly cleaned and/or scrubbed which can easily cause a broken bone orthopedic injury. All of these premises liability injuries are complex and difficult to litigate. They are also very emotional, requiring a level headed swimming pool injury attorney to give a degree of separation between emotional parents and loved ones, and the tort wrongdoer, property owner. Issues like negligence per se, for violation building and safety code sections, must be expertly explored as well. Getting a judgment for negligence in California courts often requires safety experts, accident re-constructionists, forensic experts and excellent swimming pool injury lawyers. This can be expensive and that is why we work on a contingency fee and advances all costs.

This means no recovery no fee. You don't pay us unless we recover for your serious swimming pool and Jacuzzi hot tub accident cases. But you must act quickly to avoid allowing the statute of limitations expiring. This is especially true if the swimming pool is a public swimming pool, as the statute of limitations in government agency lawsuits is often only six (6) months!

Contact the Piering Law Firm to schedule your free and confidential initial consultation. All cases are handled on a contingent fee basis, meaning there is no legal fee charged until we recover for you. Talk with an ethical and dedicated lawyer committed to your recovery. We will be with you all the way. We are available to speak with you 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, with home and weekend appointments when necessary.