Injured in a swimming pool accident in Fresno, CA? Contact the top Fresno swimming pool accident lawyer to seek compensation.
Swimming pool accidents can cause serious injuries, especially for children and the elderly. If you or a loved one has been hurt due to unsafe pool conditions, it’s important to know you have legal options.
A skilled Fresno swimming pool accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation for medical bills, pain, and suffering.
Our attorneys at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers combine decades of local experience with deep knowledge of California premises liability law to help pool accident victims throughout Fresno pursue the compensation they need to rebuild their lives.
Property owners have a duty to keep pools safe. Take action today by speaking with a trusted attorney who understands local laws and can fight for your rights. Your recovery and peace of mind start with one call.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation and discover how our award-winning team of personal injury attorneys can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.
What You Can Expect From Our Fresno Swimming Pool Accident Lawyers
A swimming pool accident creates trauma that extends far beyond physical injuries. We understand the emotional and financial burden these incidents place on families throughout Fresno and surrounding areas.
Our team provides immediate support through free consultations available 24 hours a day. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win your case. Our staff also provides services in both English and Spanish to serve our entire community.
Call (661) 583-0388 for immediate help with your swimming pool accident case.
What Counts as a Fresno Swimming Pool Accident Case
Each year, hundreds of Californians suffer preventable injuries at pools where property owners failed to implement proper safety measures or maintain hazardous conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning remains the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and four nationwide. Beyond these devastating statistics, many people suffer serious injuries from chemical burns, slip-and-fall accidents, diving incidents, and equipment malfunctions at pools throughout California. These accidents leave victims facing overwhelming medical bills, lost income, and lasting physical and emotional trauma.
Swimming pool accidents involve injuries or deaths caused by unsafe conditions at pool facilities. These incidents can occur at various types of properties throughout Fresno and the Central Valley.
A valid swimming pool accident claim requires three essential elements:
- Duty of care: The property owner owed you a legal obligation to maintain safe conditions.
- Breach of duty: They failed to meet this obligation through negligent actions or inactions.
- Causation: This failure directly caused your injuries and damages.
Common Pool Locations Where Accidents Occur
Pool accidents happen at many different facilities around Fresno:
- Private residential swimming pools
- Apartment complex and homeowners’ association pools
- Hotels, motels, and vacation rental properties
- Public pools operated by the city or schools
- Commercial facilities like gyms and country clubs
- Water parks and recreational centers
Types of Swimming Pool Accidents
Swimming pool incidents involve more than just drowning cases. Many serious injuries result from hazardous conditions around pool areas.
For example, slip and fall accidents occur when pool decks become wet and slippery without proper drainage or warning signs. Diving accidents happen in pools with insufficient depth or defective diving boards.
Chemical exposure injuries result from improperly balanced pool water that burns skin or damages eyes and lungs. Electrocution can occur when faulty wiring or underwater lighting sends electrical current through the water.
What Pool Hazards Lead to Injuries and Drowning
Property owners must address known dangers to prevent swimming pool accidents. Unfortunately, many of these tragic incidents occur simply because basic safety steps were ignored.
One of the most common hazards involves pool fencing violations, which create serious risks, especially for young children who cannot swim. California law requires specific barriers and gates to prevent unsupervised access to residential pools.
Inadequate supervision is another major cause of pool injuries. At hotels, apartment complexes, and public pools, swimmers rely on qualified lifeguards and attentive staff to ensure safety. When lifeguards are absent, distracted, or poorly trained, the risk of drowning or near-drowning accidents increases dramatically.
Poor water maintenance creates multiple hazards:
- Chemical imbalances: Too much chlorine burns skin and eyes, while too little allows dangerous bacteria growth.
- Dirty water: Poor filtration systems can hide hazards and spread illness.
- Temperature issues: Overheated spa water can cause burns or heat-related injuries.
What Injuries Are Common in Pool Accidents
Swimming pool accidents often cause severe, life-changing injuries that require extensive medical treatment. The costs of care can overwhelm families already dealing with trauma and loss.
Drowning and near-drowning incidents are the most serious pool accidents. Even when victims survive, oxygen deprivation can cause permanent brain damage, memory loss, and cognitive disabilities.
Spinal cord injuries frequently occur in diving accidents or when swimmers strike the pool bottom. These injuries can result in paralysis, loss of sensation, and the need for lifelong medical care and assistance.
Head injuries happen when swimmers hit their heads on pool edges, diving boards, or the bottom. Traumatic brain injuries can affect thinking, memory, and personality for the rest of a victim’s life.
Chemical burns from pool treatments can cause permanent scarring and respiratory problems. Severe burns may require multiple surgeries and ongoing treatment.
Who Is Liable for a Fresno Swimming Pool Injury or Drowning
California’s comparative negligence law allows you to recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident. Our job is identifying all responsible parties to maximize your compensation.
Private Pool Owners and HOAs
Homeowners have a legal duty to keep their pools safe for invited guests and to prevent access by neighborhood children. This includes installing required safety barriers and maintaining equipment in working condition.
Homeowners associations that operate community pools must follow the same safety standards as commercial facilities. They cannot ignore known hazards or delay necessary repairs.
Hotels and Commercial Properties
Hotels, motels, and apartment complexes face higher safety standards because they invite the public to use their facilities. They must provide adequate supervision, maintain proper chemical levels, and ensure all equipment meets safety codes.
Commercial property managers cannot delegate away their responsibility for pool safety. Even when they hire maintenance companies, the property owner remains liable for accidents.
Lifeguards and Pool Staff
When lifeguards fail to respond appropriately during emergencies, their employers face liability under vicarious liability laws. Pool staff must be properly trained and equipped to handle rescue situations.
Distracted or absent lifeguards create dangerous conditions that can lead to preventable drownings and injuries.
Maintenance and Service Companies
Companies hired to clean pools, balance chemicals, or repair equipment can be liable when their negligent work causes accidents. Poor maintenance practices often contribute to equipment failures and chemical exposure incidents.
Equipment Manufacturers
Defective pool equipment, including faulty drain covers, broken pumps, or malfunctioning safety devices, can make manufacturers liable through product liability claims.
Government Entities
Claims against city pools, school facilities, or other government-owned properties have special rules and much shorter deadlines. You must file formal claims within six months of the accident.
Unsure who’s responsible? Contact us at (661) 583-0388 for a free liability assessment.
Do California Pool Safety Laws Affect Your Case
Violations of state and federal pool safety laws provide strong evidence of negligence in accident cases. Our attorneys use these legal standards to build powerful arguments for our clients.
California Swimming Pool Safety Act
Under the California Swimming Pool Safety Act, all residential pools built or renovated after 2007 must include at least two safety features from a specific list. Required options include proper fencing, safety covers, door and window alarms, or removable mesh barriers.
Property owners who fail to comply with these requirements face increased liability when accidents occur. The law recognizes that pools pose special dangers requiring active safety measures.
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act
On the federal side, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act mandates anti-entrapment drain covers for all public pools and spas. The law was passed after a young girl died when a pool drain’s powerful suction trapped her underwater.
Public facilities with non-compliant or broken drain covers violate federal safety standards. These violations often lead to serious entrapment injuries or drowning deaths.
What Damages Can You Recover After a Pool Accident
Swimming pool accidents often result in catastrophic injuries requiring extensive medical care and rehabilitation. Our goal is securing compensation that covers every aspect of your losses.
Economic damages include all current and future medical expenses related to your injuries. This covers emergency treatment, surgeries, rehabilitation, medications, and any assistive devices you need.
Lost wages compensation includes time missed from work for medical treatment and recovery. If your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job, you can also recover lost future earning capacity.
Non-economic damages compensate for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. These damages recognize that serious injuries affect every aspect of your daily life.
In wrongful death cases, families can recover funeral expenses, lost financial support, and compensation for the loss of companionship and guidance.
How Long Do You Have to File a Fresno Pool Accident Claim
Time limits for filing swimming pool accident claims are strict, and waiting too long can prevent you from recovering any compensation. Under California law, you generally have two years from the injury date to file a personal injury lawsuit.
However, evidence preservation is equally important. Security camera footage may be deleted, witnesses can become harder to locate, and physical evidence at the accident scene may be altered or destroyed.
Special Rules for Government Pool Claims
Claims against government entities like cities or school districts have much shorter deadlines. You must file a formal government claim within six months of the accident date.
Missing this six-month deadline typically prevents you from ever recovering damages, regardless of how strong your case might be. Government entities use these short deadlines to limit their liability exposure.
Don’t miss critical deadlines. Call (661) 583-0388 today to protect your claim.
What To Do After a Swimming Pool Accident
The actions you take immediately following a pool accident can significantly impact your ability to recover compensation. Here’s what you should do to protect your health and legal rights:
Step 1: Get Medical Care Immediately
Seek emergency medical attention for anyone injured, even if injuries seem minor at first. Some injuries, like brain damage from near-drowning, may not show symptoms immediately.
Medical records created right after the accident provide crucial documentation linking your injuries to the incident.
Step 2: Document the Accident Scene
Take photographs and videos of the entire pool area before conditions change. Capture any hazards that contributed to the accident, missing safety equipment, and visible injuries.
Pay special attention to pool fencing, warning signs, lighting conditions, and the condition of decks and equipment around the pool.
Step 3: Gather Witness Information
Get contact information from anyone who saw the accident happen. This includes other swimmers, pool staff, lifeguards, and bystanders.
Witness statements can provide crucial evidence about what happened and whether safety protocols were being followed.
Step 4: Avoid Insurance Company Traps
Do not give recorded statements to the property owner’s insurance company without speaking to an attorney first. Insurance adjusters often use these statements to deny claims or reduce settlement amounts.
Be polite but firm in declining to discuss details of the accident until you have legal representation.
Step 5: Contact Our Swimming Pool Accident Lawyers
Call our team as soon as possible after the accident. We can immediately preserve critical evidence like surveillance footage and maintenance records before they disappear.
Early legal intervention often leads to better outcomes because we can investigate while evidence is still fresh.
How Our Fresno Swimming Pool Accident Lawyers Build Your Case
Building a successful swimming pool accident case requires thorough investigation and expert analysis. Our team examines every aspect of the incident to establish liability and prove damages.
We review lifeguard staffing logs and training records to determine if adequate supervision was provided. Commercial pools must maintain proper lifeguard-to-swimmer ratios and ensure guards are properly certified.
Maintenance and chemical treatment records often reveal patterns of neglect or safety violations. We analyze these documents to show how poor maintenance contributed to your accident.
Surveillance footage and 911 recordings provide objective evidence of what happened. We work quickly to preserve this evidence before it’s deleted or destroyed.
Expert witnesses help us demonstrate how the accident could have been prevented:
- Pool safety experts: Analyze whether proper safety measures were in place.
- Medical experts: Explain the extent of injuries and future care needs.
- Engineering experts: Examine equipment failures and design defects.
- Economic experts: Calculate lost wages and future financial losses.
Why Choose Kuzyk Law for Your Fresno Swimming Pool Accident Case
Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers has the experience and resources needed to handle complex swimming pool accident cases. Our extensive experience and proven track record demonstrate our commitment to achieving results.
Swimming pool cases often involve multiple defendants, complex insurance coverage issues, and technical questions about safety standards. Our team has the knowledge to navigate these challenges effectively.
We work exclusively on a contingency fee basis, so you never pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. This arrangement aligns our interests with yours and ensures we fight hard for the best possible outcome.
Our Track Record of Success
Our verdicts and settlements page showcases our successful results in premises liability cases. We have recovered millions of dollars for clients injured in swimming pool and other premises accidents.
Client testimonials highlight our compassionate approach and dedication to achieving justice for injury victims and their families.
Swimming Pool Accident FAQs
Can I Sue if My Child Was Injured in an Unfenced Pool?
Yes. Even though California no longer follows the attractive nuisance doctrine, you may still have a valid claim under general negligence law. Property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition—especially when they know children are likely to be nearby.
What if the Accident Happened at a City or School Pool?
Government pool accidents require special procedures and have much shorter deadlines. You must file a formal government claim within six months, not the usual two years for private property accidents.
How Do Contingency Fees Work for Pool Accident Cases?
Contingency fees mean you pay no upfront costs for legal representation. We only collect attorney fees as a percentage of any settlement or verdict we obtain for you, so if we don’t win, you owe nothing.
Contact Our Fresno Swimming Pool Accident Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a swimming pool accident in Fresno, Lancaster, or Bakersfield, don’t wait to seek legal help. The experienced attorneys at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers are ready to fight for the justice and compensation your family deserves.
Our team understands the unique challenges of swimming pool accident cases and has the resources to take on property owners, insurance companies, and their legal teams. We provide personalized attention to every client while aggressively pursuing maximum compensation.
Call (661) 583-0388 or visit our contact page to schedule your free case evaluation. We’re available 24/7 to help your family through this difficult time, and we never charge fees unless we win your case.
Fresno Swimming Pool Accident Lawyer – Free Consultations
