Fort Lauderdale Drowning and Pool Injury Lawyer

Fort Lauderdale Drowning and Pool Injury Lawyers

At Newman Injury Law, PLLC, we represent families and individuals injured in swimming pool incidents throughout South Florida. Our founder has been practicing civil litigation since 2010 and handles drowning and pool injury claims with the care these cases require. We investigate property conditions, preserve physical evidence, and pursue accountability against hotels, apartment complexes, homeowners’ associations, and private property owners whose carelessness caused the harm. Call today to speak with our Fort Lauderdale, FL drowning and pool injury lawyers, who will listen to what happened and explain your options.

Why Choose Newman Injury Law, PLLC for Drowning and Pool Injury Cases in Fort Lauderdale, FL?

Civil Litigation Experience in Complex Cases

Our founder, Jared K. Newman, is an experienced civil litigation attorney who has dedicated his practice to representing people injured by the negligence of others. He earned his J.D. from South Texas Law in 2009 and his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2006. Drowning and near-drowning cases often require coordination with medical specialists, engineering analysis of pool equipment, and detailed investigation of property maintenance records..

Results for Families Facing Serious Harm

Our personal injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL has recovered millions of dollars for clients dealing with the aftermath of serious injuries. Pool cases often involve catastrophic harm, whether a young child who survived with lasting brain injury or an adult guest who drowned at a hotel or resort, and the recoveries must account for a lifetime of medical and supportive care.

Active in the South Florida Legal Community

Jared is an active member of the Broward County Bar Association and the Dade County Bar Association. Broward judges, defense firms, and insurance carriers see the same faces repeatedly in premises liability cases, and familiarity with the local landscape shapes settlement and trial strategy.

Contingency Fee Structure

We handle drowning and pool injury cases on a contingency basis. You do not pay us anything unless we recover compensation for you. Consultations are free, and families dealing with the loss or injury of a loved one deserve clear answers without financial risk.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I had the pleasure of working with Jared Newman as my attorney for a car accident case, and I couldn’t be more grateful for his help. He guided me through the entire process with clear and consistent communication, making sure I always understood what was happening. My therapy treatment was quick and easy, and everything was handled smoothly from start to finish. On top of that, the amount I received in my settlement was higher than I expected. Jared is truly one of the best attorneys you can have, highly recommended!” (Angel Muñoz)

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Drowning and Pool Injury Cases We Handle in Fort Lauderdale

Swimming pool incidents happen at hotels, apartment complexes, private homes, water parks, and public facilities across South Florida. The evidence, applicable safety standards, and potentially responsible parties vary by location. Our firm handles the following categories of claims:

• Hotel and resort pool drownings. Broward County tourism means pool injuries at hotels and resorts are a recurring concern. Inadequate lifeguard staffing, broken pool lights, missing rescue equipment, and dangerous drain configurations all support negligence claims.
• Apartment complex pool incidents. Property managers must maintain safe fencing, working gates, and functional safety equipment. Apartment complex injury claims often involve questions about what the management company knew regarding prior incidents or hazardous conditions.
• Private residence pool cases. Homeowners who invite guests to swim owe a duty of care to those guests. Children who gain access to an unfenced pool raise questions about the attractive nuisance doctrine under Florida law.
• Public pool and aquatic center incidents. Injuries at municipal facilities involve shorter notice periods and sovereign immunity considerations that significantly affect how the case is pursued.
• Water park injuries. Slides, wave pools, and lazy rivers produce injuries that combine premises liability with product liability theories, particularly when equipment fails. Water park safety guidance often reveals the kinds of equipment failures and supervision gaps that support negligence claims.
• Near-drowning brain injuries. Children and adults who are resuscitated after submersion frequently suffer anoxic brain injuries. These cases require lifetime care planning and detailed neurological documentation.
• Pool drain and entrapment injuries. Defective drain covers and missing anti-entrapment systems violate federal safety law and often support product liability claims against manufacturers.
• Diving board and slide injuries. Improper water depth, missing warnings, and defective equipment cause spinal injuries and traumatic brain injuries at both public and private pools.
• Chemical exposure injuries. Improperly maintained pool chemistry can cause skin burns, respiratory injuries, and eye damage, particularly at large commercial facilities where automated systems are neglected.
• Child fatality and wrongful death cases. Child injury claims at pools often become wrongful death matters under Florida law, and these cases involve specific procedural requirements for the surviving family.

Florida Legal Requirements for Drowning and Pool Injury Cases

Florida regulates residential pool safety through the Pool Safety Act, codified at Chapter 515 of the Florida Statutes. The Act requires residential pools built after October 2000 to have at least one approved safety feature, such as an isolation fence, approved safety cover, alarm on the door leading to the pool area, or self-closing and self-latching gates. When a homeowner ignores these requirements and a child is injured, the failure to comply is strong evidence of negligence.

Commercial pools fall under separate regulation. The Florida Health swimming pools section sets specific standards for water quality, barrier construction, drain covers, and signage at public pools, including those at hotels, apartment complexes, and condominiums. Violations of these standards can establish negligence per se in a civil claim.

Premises liability principles also apply. Property owners must maintain their pools in reasonably safe condition and warn guests of known hazards. The attractive nuisance doctrine imposes a higher duty of care on landowners when a pool is likely to attract children. Even trespassing children can sometimes recover against property owners who failed to take reasonable measures to prevent access.

The federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, enforced through the Consumer Product Safety Commission, requires anti-entrapment drain covers on public pools. Violations often support both public enforcement actions and civil claims.

The statute of limitations for most Florida negligence actions is two years from the date of injury under Section 95.11, and wrongful death claims must generally be filed within the same period from the date of death.

What Damages Are Recoverable in a Fort Lauderdale Pool Injury Case?

Compensation in a Fort Lauderdale pool injury case depends heavily on the nature of the harm. Survivors of near-drowning often face lifetime medical costs and permanent disability. Families of drowning victims can pursue recovery through Florida’s Wrongful Death Act. Each category of damages plays a different role depending on the circumstances.

Economic damages cover the measurable financial losses. For a near-drowning survivor, this includes emergency treatment, intensive care, rehabilitation, long-term therapy, assistive equipment, and future medical care. Anoxic brain injuries from near-drowning often require round-the-clock care for the remainder of the person’s life, and the CDC drowning data shows that nonfatal drowning events can cause lasting brain damage and other serious health conditions. Life care plans developed with medical input form the evidentiary backbone for these claims. Filing a negligence claim against a property owner requires clear documentation of the dangerous condition and the owner’s knowledge.

For families pursuing a wrongful death claim, economic damages include loss of financial support, loss of household services the decedent provided, medical bills incurred before death, and funeral and burial expenses. Florida’s Wrongful Death Act allows certain family members to recover damages for the loss of their loved one. Wrongful death claims in Florida follow specific procedural rules that affect who can bring the claim and what damages are available.

Non-economic damages address pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of companionship, loss of enjoyment of life, and the emotional impact on surviving family members. Parents who lose a minor child may recover damages for mental pain and suffering under Florida law. Spouses and dependent children of deceased adults can recover for loss of companionship and emotional support. Loss of consortium claims recognize the relational harm that financial calculations alone cannot capture.

Punitive damages may apply when the property owner’s conduct was grossly negligent, such as repeatedly ignoring known dangers or intentionally concealing hazards from guests. Florida caps punitive damages in most cases at three times the compensatory award or $500,000, whichever is greater, with exceptions for particularly egregious conduct.

Contact Newman Injury Law, PLLC

If you have lost a loved one or someone in your family has been seriously injured in a Fort Lauderdale pool incident, we would like to hear what happened. At Newman Injury Law, PLLC, consultations are free, and there is no fee unless we win your case. We will review the facts, explain what Florida law requires of property owners, and give you an honest read on whether a claim is viable.

Pool evidence disappears quickly. Water gets tested and retested, equipment gets repaired or replaced, and maintenance records sometimes go missing. The sooner we can begin investigating, the stronger your case tends to be. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with our Fort Lauderdale drowning and pool injury lawyer and learn what your next step should be.