Pools / Spas / Pool Products

There are more than 1.1 million swimming pools across the Sunshine State, and they can be a great source of relaxation and relief from the heat. However, they can also be incredibly dangerous.

Florida has the highest rate of drowning for children under the age of 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even smaller, inflatable or plastic kiddie pools – sometimes only filled with a few inches of water – can pose a major safety threat to small children.

When pools, spas or pool products are defective or dangerous, it can result in tragedy. At The Ansara Law Firm, our Fort Lauderdale product liability lawyers know in these scenarios, there may be several avenues of compensation worth exploring.

Property owners and managers may be responsible for certain types of pool injuries, particularly if there was a failure to properly maintain the site or provide sufficient supervision. Failure to secure a pool from children – even trespassers – could also be grounds for litigation, as pools are a type of attractive nuisance.

Product liability claims involving pools, spas and pool products are also worth considering and consulting an attorney to discuss.

Some of the possible product defects that might cause injury in pools and spas include:

• Pump and Drain Defects. When pumps or drains aren’t adequately covered or they malfunction, this can cause an issue known as “suction entrapment.” Swimmers could get stuck underwater due to the force of the drain suction. Hair could also get caught in the drain, resulting in serious injury or drowning due to lack of oxygen.
• Ladder & Slide or Diving Board Defects. If a diving board is installed in an area of the pool that is too shallow or the surface is too slippery of the ladder fails, the person who is using it could suffer head injuries, broken bones or even drowning.
• Pool Filter Defects. There have been some instances in which pool filters have exploded due to air compression. This can result in shrapnel being launched significant distances, causing serious injuries. A Fort Lauderdale lawyer can help bring a claim for compensation for these injuries.
• Defective Heaters. Gas pool heaters that are faulty may pose a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Dangerous Metal Clamps. These are specific to above-ground pools. The metal pool claims are used to hold filter hoses on above-ground pools, and they can pose a laceration hazard due to the sharp edging.
• Toxic Pool Chemicals. The chemicals used to keep pools nice and clear can also be extremely dangerous. There have been cases wherein packaging was defective and eroded, putting consumers at risk of coming into direct contact with chemicals like sodium bisulfate, sodium perborate, concentrated chlorine and more. In other cases, chemicals used in the water caused injury to swimmers. These types of incidents can cause respiratory problems, eye injuries, burns and infections.
• Defective Floatation Device. Floatation devices are most often used by children (think “water wings” or baby floats), but tubes and mats are also frequently used by adults too. When a device doesn’t function as promised or expected, it puts users at risk of hypothermia or drowning.

These incidents can result in serious risk of injury or death to swimmers, particularly children, so it’s important to only trust the case to an experienced injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale.

The kinds of injuries swimmers may suffer when using or encountering defective pools, spas or pool products is going to vary greatly on the type of equipment involved. For example, a failure of electrical equipment (such as pool lighting) in or near a pool could put swimmers at risk of electric shock. Meanwhile, an exposed piece of plastic on a waterslide could put someone at risk of a painful laceration. Entrapment hazards posed by drains and pumps could put swimmers at risk of drowning.

Some of the other types of injuries that could occur as a result of defective pool equipment:

• Bone fractures.
• Traumatic brain injuries.
• Spinal cord injuries.
• Brain damage.
• Burns.

There may be numerous entities responsible for a pool-related injury in Florida. As it pertains specifically to product liability, those who have a duty to ensure products are safe for consumers include:

• Designers.
• Manufacturers.
• Retailers.
• Installers.
• Maintenance/ Repair companies.

It’s possible more than one of these persons or entities could be liable, depending on whether there were defects in the actual design of the product or whether there was a mistake in manufacturing or if there were improper representations about the pool or product at the time it was sold.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defect in a pool, spa or pool equipment, we can help you fight for fair compensation.

Contact Fort Lauderdale Attorney Richard Ansara at The Ansara Law Firm by calling (954) 761-3641.