With the summer season approaching and the weather getting warmer, many people are anticipating the opening of their pool. During this time, it is important to keep in mind that swimming pools can be dangerous if they are not maintained or are not up to standard with New Jersey law. When this happens, it can cause swimming pool accidents in which people fall into it and drown as a result of negligence. Continue reading below to learn more and contact a New Jersey personal injury attorney if you or a loved one was harmed due to negligence.
New Jersey Swimming Pool Laws
In response to alarm statistics regarding swimming pool accidents, the state of New Jersey enacted William’s law. This requires residential pool owners to abide by certain regulations to ensure the safety of others. This includes the following provisions:
- Pools must be entirely enclosed by a barrier, wall, or fence that is at least 5 feet tall. The barrier shall not be able to fit a spherical object that is four inches in diameter through any openings.
- The barrier must be secured by a padlock or similar locking device that has a latch located at least 54 inches above the ground.
Pool owners who fail to follow these laws can face a disorderly persons offense. If they make a good faith effort to remedy the issue within 45 days, the offense can be redacted.
Additional Safety Precautions
Other ways a pool owner can keep their pool safe from accidents is by following these additional safety precautions throughout the summer season:
- Never leave a child unattended in the water or near it
- If the pool is deep and people are not able to stand, make sure they are capable swimmers before letting them in the pool
- Stay away from drains and be sure pools have drain covers
- Install proper barriers, covers, alarms, and fencing on and around the pool
- Stow away any portable ladders when the pool is not being used. Children who cannot swim are often attracted to pools and removing ladders can prevent them from climbing into the pool and harming themselves.
- Pool owners may wish to know how to perform CPR just in case someone is drowning
- Always swim sober
- Avoid electrocution by prohibiting electronic devices near the poor
- Let swimmers know where there are shallow areas where they cannot dive
Recovering Compensation for Swimming Pool Accidents
When a pool owner fails to take care of their grounds and an accident happens, resulting in injuries or death, they can be held liable. Injured parties or loved ones of a deceased who wish to pursue legal action against a pool owner must prove negligence in order to be successful. This can be done with evidence such as pictures or videos of the pool, medical documentation of any injuries, and witnesses to the incident.
Contact our Firm
Retaining an attorney after an injury-causing accident is the most effective way to ensure that you receive the compensation to which you are legally entitled. To learn more about how we can help you, call the Wilton Law Firm today at 732-275-9555 or send us an email through our online contact form.
