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How Do I Make A Swimming Pool Accident Claim?

Have you been injured during a swim at your local gym? Were you hurt while working as a lifeguard? This guide will show you how to go from swimming pool accident to claim with a breakdown of everything you need to begin.

If you have been injured due to poorly maintained swimming pool facilities, you could be owed personal injury compensation. To help you understand if you have good grounds to launch a swimming pool injury claim, we look at different incidents that can occur in or near a swimming pool. Additionally, this guide provides examples of evidence you could gather to support your compensation claim. You may also want to know how much compensation you could get for a successful swimming pool injury claim. We break down how a settlement could be awarded before explaining how a solicitor could support your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.

Contact us today if you believe you have a valid reason to claim swimming pool accident compensation:

  • Call us anytime 24/7 on 0800 073 8804.
  • Use this form to make a claim online.
  • Use the instant chat feature at the bottom of this page.

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Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident?

You can make a swimming pool accident claim if you can prove negligence occurred.

Negligence is when:

  • You were owed a duty of care.
  • Someone breached that duty.
  • That breach caused your injuries.

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 places a duty of care on anyone who controls a public space. They must, within reason, make sure everyone in that space is safe.

In other words, someone who owns or controls a swimming pool must keep you safe in or around that pool. If you are injured for reasons that could have been avoided, they are likely negligent. In that case, you can make a public liability claim.

To claim for a swimming pool accident, contact our team today using the details at the top of this guide.

What Accidents Could Lead To A Swimming Pool Accident Claim?

As discussed above, if the individual or organisation in charge of the swimming pool facilities were negligent, you could claim compensation. Here are a few examples of swimming pool accidents that could lead to a claim:

  • A pool manager cleans the water without measuring the chlorine and uses too much. You swim in the water and suffer chemical burns.
  • Your local pool is partly drained for maintenance, making the water too shallow for diving. No warning sign is put out. You perform a high dive and receive a serious neck injury.
  • A child spills a drink next to the pool. Staff do not clean this within a reasonable time, and you slip and fall and fracture a forearm.
  • A broken tile catches your leg as you get into the pool, incurring significant laceration and scarring.
  • A large ceiling light has not been properly installed. It falls on you as you swim, causing a minor injury to your back.

To know if your accident could lead to a swimming pool accident claim, get in touch via the details above.

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Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident As An Employee?

You can make a swimming pool accident claim as an employee if the accident was caused by a negligent employer.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty of care on employers to take reasonable and practicable steps to keep their staff safe. There are various ways in which an employer can be negligent, including failing to provide correct oversight, training, or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

  • You are the only lifeguard on duty, yet your employer insists that you teach a swimming class. You fall and fracture your skull with no one around to help.
  • You are hired to fix a pool vent, but your supervisor does not update you that the whole pump system needs replacing. Your hand gets caught in the faulty machinery, requiring partial finger amputation.

If you are unsure if your accident was the fault of your employer, our advisors can help. Get in touch with the details at the top of the page.

Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident On Behalf Of My Child?

If your child has been injured in a swimming pool accident, you have two options.

  • Wait until they turn eighteen, at which point they can make their own claim.
  • Request that you be appointed their litigation friend. A litigation friend is a trusted parent or guardian who claims on behalf of a child.

Both actions trigger a three-year time limit under The Limitation Act 1980. After those three years, the claim will become time-barred. This means you cannot claim anymore.

If you make a swimming pool accident claim on your own behalf, your three years start from the date of your accident.

Contact us if you’re not sure whether you still claim. Our advisors are available 24/7 via the details at the top of this guide.

What Do I Need To Make A Swimming Pool Accident Claim?

A swimming pool accident claim requires evidence of negligence. This will usually include:

  • Media – The Data Protection Act 2018 allows you to request any CCTV or phone recordings of the accident, so long as you appear in them.
  • Witness Contact Details – inform your solicitor if anyone saw your accident happen, as they can help to support the facts of your case.
  • Medical Reports – GP notes, rehab records, or the statement of a relevant expert can link your injuries to the incident in question.
  • Expert Opinion – someone with provable expertise can speak to factual questions such as what duty of care you were owed.
  • Incident Reports – anyone who employs ten staff or more must keep a record of workplace accidents under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

Our solicitors can gather this evidence for you. To know how, call us today. You can find our phone number at the top of this page.

A man adjusts his swim cap and goggles in a pool.

How Much Swimming Pool Accident Compensation Could I Receive?

Damages are paid to a person who successfully makes a swimming pool accident claim. There are two types of damages:

  • General damages are paid to compensate for pain and suffering caused by the swimming pool accident.
  • Special damages are paid to restore material loss caused by your swimming injuries.

General damages will depend on the type and severity of your injuries. The Judicial College sets out compensation for different injuries in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The table below provides some examples.

Please note that the top figure is for demonstration and is not a JCG figure. This table is only intended to act as a guide.

InjuryCompensation Guideline
Multiple severe injuries plus special damagesUp to £1,000,000 or more
Very severe brain injury needing full time nursing care£344,150 to £493,000
Severe (ii) neck injuries usually involving cervical damage and that cause permanent disability£80,240 to £159,770
Moderate (i) neck injuries that cause severe symptoms and may need spinal fusion£30,500 to £46,970
Burns to 40% or more of the bodyLikely more than £127,930
Several lacerations or one disfiguring scar£9,560 to £27,740
Severe (iii) back injuries including vertebral damage that leaves disabilities that cannot be fixed with treatment£47,320 to £85,100
Arm injuries causing permanent disability£47,810 to £73,050
Less severe but more than simple arm injuries£23,430 to £47,810
Poisoning severe (i) enough to negatively affect life and work in the long-term£46,900 to £64,070

Can I Claim For Loss of Earnings Caused By A Swimming Accident?

Special damages recover material losses caused by the injuries. So long as you can prove the loss and show your injuries are the cause, you can claim for special damages.

You prove loss of earnings by providing payslips, sick notes, pension letters, or other relevant documents. Other examples of special damages are:

  • Wages for a carer or other domestic help.
  • The cost of installing a ramp or other accessibility adjustments.
  • Private medical expenses or related travel costs.

As with loss of earnings, each of these would require invoices, quotations, or other proof.

Ask our advisors if we can help you with loss of earnings via the methods listed above.

Claim For A Swimming Pool Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis

You could have the right after a swimming pool accident to claim compensation, and our solicitors are here to help. They are ready to assist with expertise that can only be built over decades of success, providing:

  • High quality advice for your unique situation.
  • Guidance on the latest legal know-how.
  • Resources to gather the strongest evidence possible.
  • The best possible chance of success.

Don’t worry if you can’t pay upfront. Our solicitors can work for you on a No Win No Fee basis if you sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). With this method, you:

  • Pay an agreed and legally capped percentage of the compensation awarded if you win.
  • Pay nothing if you lose.
  • Enjoy peace of mind knowing there are no upfront or ongoing costs for your claim.

This way, you have nothing to lose. Get in touch. Claim the compensation you deserve.

  • Call us anytime 24/7 on 0800 073 8804.
  • Use this form to make a claim online.
  • Use the instant chat feature at the bottom of this page.

A solicitor wearing glasses and a black suit explains to a woman wearing a yellow top how she can claim on a No Win No Fee basis.

Learn More About How To Make Personal Injury Claims

Here are some further resources from us you may find helpful:

Here is some more reading from around the web:

Thank you for reading our guide on how to make a swimming pool accident claim.

How To Claim Fractured Vertebrae Compensation

If you have broken your neck or back in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you could get help with your fractured vertebrae through compensation.

You may think you don’t have the time or resources to make a claim, especially if you are dealing with the effects of such profound injuries.

According to The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, traumatic spinal fractures can take 3-6 months to heal, with full recovery taking as long as 2 years or more. In that time, you may be unable to work or pay for vital physiotherapy.

This detailed yet simple guide will explain what a personal injury claim could do to change that. It will explain who is eligible to take action and break down how much compensation you could receive. Finally, it will explain what we can do for you.

You have rights. You are not alone.

Contact us today.

  • Call us anytime on 0800 073 8804.
  • Make a claim online if you would prefer us to contact you.
  • Use the live Support chat on the bottom of this page.

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What Is A Fractured Vertebrae?

A fractured vertebrae is a break to any of the 33 small bones between your skull and pelvis. This group of bones makes up your spine, which is why these injuries are sometimes called spinal fractures.

There are three types of spinal fractures:

  • Chance – vertebrae are suddenly pulled apart.
  • Burst – vertebrae are suddenly pressed together.
  • Compression – vertebrae are damaged over time by wastage or wear.

If you have experienced any of these, you may be eligible to claim fractured vertebrae compensation. Contact our advisors using the details at the top of this guide to discuss your particular case.

What Are Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims?

You can seek fractured vertebrae compensation if you suffered spinal cord injuries as a result of a third party’s actions or inactions. However, to do so, you must prove that:

  • That party owed you a duty of care.
  • That party breached their duty of care.
  • That breach caused your injuries.

A duty of care is an obligation to maintain a certain standard of care. Different relationships involve different duties. We look at a few life scenarios in which you are owed a duty of care in the following subsections.

Accidents At Work

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty of care on employers to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the safety of their staff while at work. They must make sure everyone is protected from harm by providing proper training, supervision, and, if needed, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). If you were injured because of any failure to do so, they would be liable.

  • Your employer fails to train you in proper manual handling. As a result, you sustain a back injury.
  • Your employer does not supervise a trainee who causes a scaffolding accident. It falls and breaks your neck.
  • You are repairing roads at night, and your supervisor has not provided you with high-visibility clothes. This causes a car to crash into you, fracturing your lower vertebrae.

A builder in a high-visibility vest and hard hat tends to another who is injured on the floor of a construction site.

Accidents in a Public Place

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 places a duty of care on anyone who controls a public space to keep everyone within that space reasonably safe. If someone controls a public space in which someone is injured, they may be negligent if, within reason, they could have prevented that injury.

  • A council takes too long to repair a broken pavement. You trip on this pavement and hit your head on a parked car, breaking your neck in two places.
  • Your local gym fails to carry out maintenance on equipment which collapses while you are using it. Your back is severely damaged.
  • A cafe does not place a warning sign over a spillage. You slip and suffer a fractured neck in three places.

Road Traffic Accidents

Road users owe a collective duty of care to one another to avoid endangering anyone else. This entails adhering to The Road Traffic Act 1988 and The Highway Code.

  • While looking at their phone, a driver misses you slowing down at a junction. They crash into you, causing a lumbar fracture.
  • A motorcyclist changes lanes without indicating, causing you to brake suddenly. Your car spins and crashes into a reservation, and you sustain a serious spine injury.
  • You are crossing the road as a pedestrian. A driver hits you while driving 20 mph over the speed limit, breaking your neck and back.

Negligence on the road is often a criminal offence. This does not prevent a personal injury claim. If you are unsure of your case, our advisors are available via the information at the top of this page.

How Long Do I Have To Claim For Spinal Fractures?

The Limitation Act 1980 allows you to claim fractured vertebrae compensation for three years after the accident that caused your injury. On the third anniversary and after, you are time-barred and cannot make a personal injury claim anymore.

There are exceptions:

  • Children must wait until they turn eighteen or the courts can appoint a litigation friend to help them, at which point their three years will begin. A litigation friend is a trusted parent or guardian who can ensure the claim is in their best interests.
  • A person who lacks the mental capacity to act in their own best interest must appoint a litigation friend. This can be any trusted person in their life. They can also claim themselves if they regain this capacity. If this occurs, they will have three years to claim.

Contact our team if you believe this may apply to you. Their details are at the start of this guide.

What Evidence Can Help Me Claim Fractured Vertebrae Compensation?

To claim fractured vertebrae compensation, you will need evidence that proves liability for your injury.

  • Incident Reports – The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) requires that organisations of ten staff or more keep a record of healthy and safety incidents.
  • Media – Article 15 of UK General Data Protection Regulation gives you the right to request documents, photos, or videos in which you or your data appear.
  • Medical Reports – You must have been diagnosed with fractured vertebrae by a medical professional to claim. GP and physiotherapy records can also help.
  • Expert Report – A relevant professional can link your injuries to the accident that caused them. For example, a civil engineer could advise on the likelihood that it was the construction company’s fault that a roof collapsed on you.
  • Witness Contact Details – our solicitors can work with anyone who saw your accident to establish the facts in support of your claim.

Our solicitors can help you gather all of this evidence. If you would like to talk about a particular piece of evidence you believe may help, our contact details are at the top of this page.

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How Much Compensation For A Fractured Vertebrae?

There are two types of damages in a fractured vertebrae claim:

  • Compensation for your pain and suffering caused by the incident (general damages).
  • Recovery of material losses caused by your injury (special damages).

The table below provides guideline compensation figures that could be awarded for spinal fractures. They are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which provides guideline compensation brackets that could be awarded for various types of injuries.

Please note that the top figure is not from the JCG. Furthermore, as all successful claims are awarded fractured vertebrae compensation based on their own merits, this table is only intended to provide guidance.

Injury and SeverityCompensation Guideline
Multiple Injuries Plus Multiple DamagesUp to £500,000 or more
Severe (i) damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots resulting in partial paralysis or impaired bodily function£111,150 to £196,450
Severe (ii) back injuries affecting the spinal cord and causing loss of sensation, movement, or bodily function£90,510 to £107,910
Severe (iii) spinal lesions or soft tissue damage leading to chronic conditions that treatment or surgery cannot resolve£47,320 to £85,100
Moderate (ii) back injuries that prolong or worsen a pre-existing condition£33,880 to £47,320
Minor (i) back injuries that, though painful, can heal to minimal or zero effect within 2-5 years£9,630 to £15,260
Severe (i) neck injuries including partial paraplegia or other long-term and intractable symptomsIn the region of £181,020
Severe (ii) neck injuries including serious fractures or cervical disc damage£80,240 to £159,770
Severe (iii) neck injuries leading to chronic conditions and permanent disability£55,500 to £68,330
Moderate (i) neck injures that, while serious, may not require disc fusion£30,500 to £46,970

Can I Claim For The Long Term Impact Of A Vertebral Fracture?

So long as you have evidence, you can recover material losses caused by your injuries. These are known as special damages and include:

  • Loss of earnings – recent payslips would prove this, as would a letter from your employer confirming any likely career progression.
  • Loss of other benefits – you can show this with a letter from your pension provider listing your entitlement and contributions.
  • Medical expenses – invoices or quotes are the best evidence, depending on your stage of rehabilitation.
  • Costs of adjusting your home – recommendations from a medical expert would demonstrate this and invoices from builders could prove how much you spent.

Our advisors are available 24/7 via the details at the top of this guide if you have any particular losses you would like to discuss.

Claim For A Spinal Fracture Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor

Our personal injury solicitors understand how life changing spinal fractures can be, and they have decades of experience helping people get the compensation they deserve.

They can provide:

  • Industry-leading expertise.
  • Advice tailored to your particular situation.
  • Time and resources to gather your evidence.
  • Cutting-edge professional knowledge.

A solicitor in a black suit stands in front of digital image of scales, advising on how to claim fractured vertebrae compensation.

They also understand that many people cannot pay for their services outright.

By signing a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) with our solicitors, they will be able to work for you on a No Win No Fee basis. With this document comes piece of mind:

  • No direct fees, upfront or otherwise.
  • Pay a small capped percentage of the compensation awarded to you only if you win.
  • Pay absolutely nothing if you lose.

If you think you have a claim, contact our advisors today for a free initial consultation. There’s no obligation. Just the help you need.

  • Call us anytime on 0800 073 8804.
  • Make a claim online to have us contact you.
  • Use the live Support chat on the bottom of this page.

More Useful Resources About Making Personal Injury Claims

More help from us:

Useful links from the rest of the Internet:

Thank you for reading our guide on fracture vertebrae compensation. If you need any further information, please get in touch.