Diving Accidents
Pools are popular, both for exercise and recreation. Recreational swimming and diving are common activities, particularly among children and teens. However, data shows that thousands of children and adolescents receive treatment for dive-related injuries each year. In this post, our Sacramento swimming pool accident lawyers will review the most common types of injuries that occur as a result of a diving accident, as well as whether or not any party could be held liable for a dive injury.
Most Common Swimming Pool Diving Injuries
The leading cause of youth diving injuries is a collision with a diving board or platform, but injuries can also occur when individuals dive into the pool and strike the pool floor or wall. Some of the most common diving accidents in pools throughout California include:
Spinal Cord Injuries
When individuals dive into a pool, whether off the diving board, the side of the pool, or from another object, there is a risk of sustaining spinal cord trauma if the person impacts the bottom or side of the pool. This is particularly true for areas where the pool is not deep enough for proper diving. Spinal cord injuries can leave individuals with varying levels of paralysis or lead to death.
Severe Sprains or Strains
Individuals could sustain severe sprains or strains if their extremities make contact with harder surfaces as a result of the dive. This can include sprained or strained ankles and wrists. Additionally, the impact of the water or harder services could lead to a sprain or strain of the upper back or neck muscles.
Bone Fractures
If individuals hit the bottom or sides of the pool, they could break various bones. This could include bones in the hands and feet, arms or legs, and even the ribs, collarbone, or skull.
Lacerations or Abrasions
Severe lacerations or abrasions could occur as a result of diving into the water, particularly if the individual makes contact with the bottom of the pool, the sides of the pool, or some other fixed object.
Who is at Risk?
Information provided by Nationwide Children’s Hospital indicates that individuals aged 10 through 14 comprised the largest group of injured divers (36%) during a multi-decade study. However, it is important to understand that individuals of any age could sustain injuries as a result of diving into a pool, particularly pools not designed for diving.
The data also indicates that injuries to the head or neck occurred in 38% of pool diving injury incidents, and injuries to the face comprised 22% of pool diving injuries. Combined, these were the most common injuries sustained as a result of a diving incident. The most frequent diagnosis related to these areas of the body were lacerations and soft tissue injuries.
Who Could be Liable for a Diving Injury?
There may be various parties who could be held liable for a swimming pool injury, including a diving injury. This could include:
- The owner or operator of the pool if they fail to adequately warn swimmers of the dangers
- Private residence owners
- Owners of hotels or motels
- Government agencies
- Private companies or corporations
- Lifeguards or lifeguarding agencies responsible for the pool area
- Other entities responsible for the safety of those in or around the pool
If you or somebody you love has sustained a diving injury and think another party is responsible for the incident, we encourage you to reach out to a skilled personal injury lawyer with experience handling complex claims like this.