Florida Personal Injury Blog
Summer Tips for Staying Safe during Summer
The Perazzo Law Firm in Miami
As the summer season approaches and the weather warms, those looking for a splash, will be spending time poolside, at hotels, motels, and private residences across South Florida. That is why, the Perazzo Law Firm in Miami has prepared a special article aimed at helping visitors and residents stay safe by preventing accidents that occur inside or outside of a swimming pool.
Swimming Pool Accidents and Tourists.
Swimming pool accidents are usually quite serious for the following reasons:
- Pool areas consist of hard surfaces
- Pool accidents usually include fractures, breaks, or head injuries
People sometimes drown because of:
- Head injuries
- Inability to swim
- Intoxication
- No lifeguard on duty
- Lack of adult or supervision
When a swimming pool accident happens, the injuries may be the result of negligence on behalf of the swimming pool owner or the business operator responsible for the safety of the guests in the case of a hotel, motel, or spa. Nevertheless, people need to take special safety precautions when spending time in or around a swimming pool.
What you can do to prevent a swimming pool accident:
- Don’t run or make sudden moves – Slips and falls usually occur when people run, skip, or jump around the pool area.
- Avoid diving – Diving should be left to people with diving experience and done from diving boards. Many times, people suffer head injuries when attempting to dive into the pool from the edge. Get familiar with the shallow and deep ends before attempting to dive or jump in.
- Avoid drunkenness – Excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to injuries from slip and falls, or can lead to drowning when people are too drunk to stay conscious.
- Use sunscreen and get shade-time – Overexposure to the sun can lead to burning, which can lead to infection and ultimately, skin cancer. Young children should never be left in the sun and unattended to.
- Respect the deep end – apart from determining the shallow and deep parts of a pool, staying out of the deep end, unless for diving, is usually recommended.
- Act your age – Being responsible when in or around a swimming pool is fundamental. Acting silly usually results in silly accidents.
Common Swimming Pool Accidents
- Sprains – Given the slippery surfaces, people will usually sprain ankles or wrists upon falling.
- Breaks and Fractures – Hard surfaces made of concrete or cement are harder than bones. It’s easy to break a finger or a toe in a swimming pool. A broken toe can occur when a person stumps a toe on raised pool-bottom surface or tile. Broken bones are permanent injuries.
- Cuts and Laceration – There may exist sharp edges on swimming pool ladders, slides, chairs, or broken tiles or surfaces. Cuts leave scars which are permanent injuries that can affect a person’s life if the scar is located on the facial area.
- Drowning – Children are the most prone to drowning accidents. Sadly, poor adult supervision is one of the leading causes of drowning accidents in swimming pools. Pool areas should be gated and locked when not in use or there is no proper supervision to prevent drowning accidents. Children should never be left unattended to when in or around a swimming pool area.
If you suffered personal injury or bodily harm in a swimming pool related accident, contact the Perazzo Law Firm NOW to find out about a possible insurance claim for compensation to cover losses stemming from the injuries. Many times, there is negligence on behalf of operators that breaches the duty of care that they owe to guests. The Miami Personal Injury Staff at the Perazzo Law Firm will strive to achieve a successful lawsuit to recover financial losses associated with the accident and injuries.