If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a swimming pool accident in Tulsa, you have legal rights. Pool owners and operators have a responsibility to maintain safe conditions and prevent foreseeable injuries. When they fail to do so, injured victims can pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Abel Law Firm represents individuals and families harmed in swimming pool accidents throughout Tulsa and Oklahoma. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront—we only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you.
Why Choose Abel Law Firm
Abel Law Firm represents injured Oklahomans in serious personal injury cases, including swimming pool accidents. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront costs—we only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case and explain your legal options.
Our firm brings decades of experience in premises liability and personal injury litigation. We have recovered over $550 million in client compensation and earned recognition as Oklahoma’s Best Personal Injury Law Firm by The Journal Record readers for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025). Our attorneys include multiple Super Lawyers recognized among the top 5% of attorneys in Oklahoma.
T. Luke Abel serves as Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability by Best Lawyers in America (2025), is recognized as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers, and holds a Preeminent AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Kelly Bishop has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for 13 consecutive years. Ed Abel is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been named Personal Injury Litigator of the Year by Best Lawyers in America.
Our firm’s relevant case experience includes substantial wrongful death recoveries demonstrating our compassionate representation of families who have lost loved ones, complex product liability cases involving dangerous equipment and major manufacturers, and significant personal injury recoveries across multiple practice areas. We bring this experience and dedication to every swimming pool accident case we handle. View our case results to see examples of successful recoveries.
Why You Need a Swimming Pool Accident Attorney
Swimming pool accidents cause serious, life-altering injuries and deaths every year. Drowning remains a leading cause of unintentional injury death, while other pool accidents result in spinal cord injuries, brain damage, broken bones, and chemical burns. The physical and emotional trauma extends far beyond the initial incident, often requiring ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and psychological support.
Oklahoma law holds property owners and operators liable when their negligence causes injury to others on their property. This principle, known as premises liability, applies to swimming pools at residential homes, apartment complexes, hotels, water parks, and public facilities. Pool owners must maintain their facilities in a reasonably safe condition and warn visitors of known hazards. When they breach this duty of care, injured parties can recover damages through a personal injury claim.
You need an experienced swimming pool accident attorney because pool accident cases involve complex liability questions, multiple potential defendants, and significant damages. Insurance companies representing pool owners work to minimize payouts. An attorney protects your rights, investigates the accident thoroughly, and negotiates aggressively on your behalf.
Common Swimming Pool Injuries in Tulsa
Swimming pool accidents take many forms, each with potentially devastating consequences:
- Drowning and Near-Drowning: Inadequate supervision, lack of lifeguards, or failure to maintain proper water safety protocols can lead to drowning. Survivors of near-drowning incidents often suffer permanent brain damage and cognitive impairment. Drowning cases require immediate legal attention to preserve evidence.
- Diving Accidents: Shallow water, unmarked depth changes, or underwater obstacles cause diving injuries resulting in spinal cord damage, paralysis, and permanent disability. Diving board injuries often involve defective equipment or inadequate warnings.
- Slip-and-Fall Injuries: Wet surfaces, broken tiles, missing handrails, and inadequate drainage create slip hazards. These accidents cause broken bones, head injuries, and soft tissue damage. Slip-and-fall accidents represent a significant category of premises liability claims.
- Chemical Burns: Improper chemical treatment, storage, or handling of pool chemicals causes severe burns to skin, eyes, and respiratory systems. Burn injuries from chemical exposure require immediate medical attention and often result in permanent scarring.
- Drain Entrapment: Defective or unguarded pool drains can trap hair, limbs, or entire bodies, causing drowning, dismemberment, or death. The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (2007) establishes federal standards for drain safety. Pool drain injuries are preventable with proper maintenance and compliance.
- Electrocution: Faulty wiring, damaged equipment, or improper electrical installation near pools causes electrocution injuries. These incidents often involve construction defects or maintenance failures.
- Broken Bones and Fractures: Falls, collisions, and accidents in and around pools frequently result in fractures requiring surgery and extended recovery.
Each injury type carries unique medical, financial, and emotional consequences. Serious pool accidents often require emergency medical care, hospitalization, surgery, and long-term rehabilitation. Many victims face permanent disabilities affecting their ability to work and enjoy life.
How Pool Owners Can Be Held Liable
Oklahoma premises liability law imposes a duty of care on pool owners and operators. This duty requires them to maintain the pool in a reasonably safe condition and protect visitors from foreseeable hazards. Pool owners breach this duty through various forms of negligence:
- Inadequate Supervision: Failing to provide adequate lifeguards or supervision, particularly at public pools and facilities open to children. Lack of supervision is a common basis for liability in drowning cases.
- Failure to Maintain Equipment: Neglecting to repair broken ladders, stairs, handrails, or diving boards; failing to maintain proper water chemistry and filtration systems.
- Broken or Missing Safety Features: Absent or non-functional safety equipment, including life rings, first aid kits, and emergency communication devices.
- Lack of Warning Signs: Failing to post warning signs about water depth, hazardous conditions, or restricted areas.
- Improper Chemical Treatment: Maintaining unsafe chlorine levels, pH imbalances, or other chemical conditions that harm swimmers. Per Oklahoma Department of Health standards, proper pool chemistry is essential.
- Defective Equipment: Using damaged or defective pool equipment that poses injury risks.
- Inadequate Fencing or Barriers: Failing to install proper fencing, gates, or barriers to prevent unauthorized access, particularly for residential pools. The Oklahoma Building Code requires 4-sided enclosures with self-closing gates.
Pool owners may also face liability under the “attractive nuisance” doctrine if they maintain an attractive but dangerous condition (like an unsecured pool) that draws children onto the property.
Proving Negligence in Your Pool Accident Claim
To recover compensation, you must prove that the pool owner’s negligence caused your injuries. This requires establishing four elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Our swimming pool accident attorneys in Tulsa gather comprehensive evidence to build a strong case using the following:
- Maintenance Records: Pool maintenance logs, chemical treatment records, equipment repair history, and inspection reports demonstrate whether the owner maintained the pool properly.
- Safety Violation Documentation: Citations from health departments, OSHA violations, or prior complaints about unsafe conditions show a pattern of negligence. OSHA pool safety standards apply to commercial facilities.
- Witness Statements: Testimony from other swimmers, lifeguards, staff members, and bystanders establishes what happened and whether safety protocols were followed.
- Medical Records: Your medical documentation proves the extent of your injuries and necessary treatment.
- Expert Testimony: We retain pool safety experts, medical professionals, and engineers who testify about industry standards, the owner’s breach of duty, and the connection between the breach and your injuries.
- Pool Inspection Reports: Professional inspections identify safety defects and code violations.
- Prior Incident Reports: Evidence of previous accidents at the same facility shows the owner knew of dangerous conditions.
This evidence creates a compelling narrative showing the pool owner knew or should have known of the hazard, failed to address it, and that failure directly caused your injuries.
Damages You Can Recover
Oklahoma law allows injured pool accident victims to recover various categories of damages:
- Medical Expenses: Past and future medical bills and costs, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, medications, and medical equipment.
- Ongoing Treatment and Rehabilitation: Long-term care needs for serious injuries, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological counseling.
- Lost Wages and Lost Earning Capacity: Compensation for time missed from work during recovery and reduced earning capacity if injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job.
- Pain and Suffering: Damages for physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and diminished quality of life. Suing for pain and suffering is a critical component of pool accident claims.
- Emotional Distress: Separate compensation for psychological trauma, particularly in drowning cases affecting family members. Suing for emotional distress protects your mental health recovery.
- Wrongful Death Damages: If a loved one died in a pool accident, surviving family members can recover funeral expenses, loss of companionship, loss of financial support, and other damages. Wrongful death claims require specialized legal expertise and compassionate representation.
- Loss of Consortium: Compensation for the loss of companionship, support, and services provided by an injured family member.
The amount of compensation depends on the severity of your injuries, the clarity of liability, the defendant’s insurance coverage, and other case-specific factors. We evaluate your case thoroughly to determine appropriate compensation demands.
The Claims Process for Pool Injuries
The process for pursuing a pool accident claim involves several stages. Understanding each step helps you know what to expect as we work toward recovering compensation for your injuries:
- Initial Free Consultation: We meet with you to understand what happened, review your injuries, and evaluate your legal options. This consultation is free and confidential.
- Case Evaluation and Investigation: We investigate the accident thoroughly, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, obtaining maintenance records, and consulting with experts.
- Demand Letter Preparation: We prepare a detailed demand letter to the pool owner’s insurance company, presenting evidence of liability and damages, and requesting compensation. What happens after your lawyer sends a demand letter explains the next steps.
- Settlement Negotiations: We negotiate with the insurance company to reach a fair settlement. Many cases resolve at this stage without going to trial. Settling vs. going to court helps you understand your options.
- Litigation if Necessary: If settlement negotiations fail, we file a lawsuit and prepare your case for trial, including discovery, expert reports, and witness preparation.
- Trial Preparation: We prepare you and our evidence for trial, presenting a compelling case to a jury if settlement remains impossible.
Throughout this process, we handle all legal work while keeping you informed of developments. You focus on recovery while we pursue your claim aggressively.
Frequently Asked Questions About Swimming Pool Accidents
What is the statute of limitations for pool accidents in Oklahoma?
In Oklahoma, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is critical—if you miss it, you lose your right to pursue compensation. We recommend contacting an attorney immediately after a pool accident to protect your rights. Learn more about Oklahoma’s statute of limitations and statute of limitations in Oklahoma.
Can I sue a public pool or government entity?
Yes, but the process differs from suing private pool owners. Government entities have certain immunities, but Oklahoma law allows claims against them under specific circumstances. We evaluate whether you can pursue a claim against a public pool, water park, or government agency and explain your options. Oklahoma Statutes Title 51 governs governmental tort claims.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
Oklahoma follows a comparative negligence rule. Even if you bear some responsibility for the accident, you can still recover compensation as long as you are less than 50% at fault. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. We investigate thoroughly to minimize any claims of comparative negligence. Read more about how comparative negligence affects your personal injury claim.
How long does a pool injury case typically take?
Timeline varies depending on case complexity, injury severity, and whether a settlement is reached. Simple cases may resolve within months, while complex cases involving serious injuries or multiple defendants may take one to three years. We work efficiently to resolve your case while ensuring you receive fair compensation. For more details, see how long a personal injury lawsuit takes and what steps in a personal injury case you should take.
Contact Abel Law Firm for Your Swimming Pool Accident Claim
Contact Abel Law Firm today for a free consultation about your swimming pool accident claim. Call (918) 777-7046 or complete our online contact form to speak with an experienced attorney about your legal options. Our firm represents clients throughout Tulsa and Oklahoma on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
