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A pool visit can be a great way to spend the warmer months of the year. However, swimming pools come with the risk of drowning or being hurt through other accidents. That risk can increase if the pool’s owner does not care for their property correctly or does not have someone on guard to watching for potential drownings.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a swimming pool accident in Cook County, it can be challenging to get the compensation you need. Fortunately, you have help available from a compassionate premises liability attorney ready to fight on your entire family’s behalf.
Like anyone who opens their privately owned property to visitors, swimming pool owners have a duty of care under Illinois state law to keep their premises safe for their guests. In addition to identifying and addressing hazardous property conditions in a reasonable time and manner, landowners must provide advance warning to visitors of all hazards they are aware of. They may also be required to inspect their property regularly for dangers they have not yet discovered. A legal professional could determine if they fulfilled this obligation or not.
If someone is injured in or around a swimming pool, this does not automatically make the pool’s owner or manager legally liable for ensuing damages. Building a successful claim around a swimming pool incident in Cook County requires the injured person to prove they were not warned about danger, which resulted in harm from a hazardous condition. A wrongful death claim due to drowning is also possible. 
One unique element of premises liability law concerning swimming pool injuries in Cook County is the “attractive nuisance” doctrine. This legal precedent holds that landowners may be liable for failing to prevent children, who are too young to recognize danger from trespassing, from getting hurt by an attractive nuisance such as a swimming pool or other situation that might draw their attention.
The law typically does not hold landowners liable for injuries suffered by adult trespassers unless the harm was due to a dangerous property condition the landowner specifically created to injure trespassers. That said, applying this legal doctrine effectively can be tricky without support from experienced legal counsel.
Swimming pools can be a great source of entertainment, but they can also be dangerous when unmaintained and supervised improperly. Not every swimming pool owner lives up to the legal duty, as you may have learned the hard way. Fortunately, you have legal options to recover the damages you are owed.
If negligent management of a private or public pool leads to you or a family member suffering physical harm, a qualified personal injury lawyer can help. We could assist you in proving the property owner was negligent and securing every dollar of compensation you deserve. Call today to discuss your options following a swimming pool accident in Cook County.