Swimming Pool Accident Lawyer in Traverse City

Local Premises Liability Attorneys with Over 45 Years of Combined Experience

Swimming pool accidents can cause catastrophic injuries in seconds. When a property owner’s negligence contributed to the harm, Michigan premises liability law may entitle the victim to compensation. At Miller Embury PLLC, we handle swimming pool accident claims throughout Traverse City and Northern Michigan, from the initial investigation through trial if necessary. Our attorneys bring over 45 years of combined personal injury experience to every case, and we’ve secured millions in settlements and verdicts for clients facing serious injuries and wrongful death.

Grand Traverse County’s tourism-driven economy means pool exposure extends well beyond residential backyards. Hotels, resorts, and short-term rental properties throughout the region create real and recurring risk. We know this landscape and how to build a strong claim against the property owners, operators, and insurers involved.

If you or a family member was injured in a pool accident, call Miller Embury PLLC at (888) 224-1239 for a free case evaluation. We work on a contingency fee basis, so there are no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Common Swimming Pool Accidents That Support an Injury Claim

Pool accidents take many forms, and each can support a different legal theory depending on how the incident occurred and who controlled the property.

• Drowning and near-drowning: A person can drown silently and quickly. Near-drowning events can deprive the brain of oxygen, causing anoxic brain injury with permanent cognitive effects.
• Slip and fall on pool decks: Wet surfaces without adequate drainage or slip-resistant materials commonly cause broken bones, head injuries, and spinal injuries.
• Diving injuries: Shallow-water diving or diving from unsafe or unmarked structures can result in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or paralysis.
• Drain entrapment: Defective or non-compliant drain covers can trap a swimmer’s hair, hands, or feet through suction force, causing severe injury or drowning.
• Defective equipment: Broken diving boards, faulty ladders, loose slides, and pump failures can all cause serious harm.
• Electrocution: Electrical malfunctions in or near pool water pose life-threatening risks and are among the most catastrophic pool injuries.
• Chemical exposure: Improperly balanced water chemistry can cause chemical burns, respiratory harm, and skin injury.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Pool Accident in Michigan

Liability depends on who owned, operated, and maintained the property. Multiple parties can share responsibility in the same incident.

Homeowners
Private pool owners owe a duty of care to guests and are required under Michigan law to install barriers, including fences with self-closing, self-latching gates of at least 48 inches in height. Failures to secure the pool can constitute negligence.

Hotels, Resorts, and Commercial Operators
Commercial pool operators carry a heightened duty of care. They must comply with Michigan Public Health Code requirements and typically carry commercial general liability insurance that may provide substantial coverage.

HOA and Apartment Complex Pools
Operators of community and tenant pools must maintain safe conditions, provide adequate supervision, and ensure equipment meets applicable safety standards.

Pool Maintenance Companies
If improper maintenance or a faulty repair contributed to the accident, the maintenance contractor may share liability alongside the property owner.

Product Manufacturers
Defective drain covers, pumps, or diving boards can support a product liability claim against the manufacturer. The federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act sets mandatory drain cover safety standards, and violations may help establish breach of duty.

Michigan Law & Swimming Pool Accidents

Michigan premises liability law requires property owners to maintain reasonably safe conditions for invitees. A documented violation of pool safety codes may help establish breach of the duty of care.

The Attractive Nuisance Doctrine

When the injured victim is a child trespasser, Michigan’s attractive nuisance doctrine may still allow recovery. Because pools are recognized as an attractive nuisance, an owner who fails to adequately fence or secure the pool may be held liable for injuries to children who enter the property without permission.

Filing Deadlines You Can’t Afford to Miss

Michigan’s general statute of limitations gives most pool accident victims three years from the date of the incident to file a claim under MCL 600.5805. Two important exceptions apply:

• Minor victims: Under MCL 600.5851, the three-year period is tolled while the child is a minor. The injured child then may have until age 21 to file. This distinction matters in pool cases because children are disproportionately represented among victims.
• Government-owned pools: Claims involving municipal pools or public park facilities require a written notice of injury filed within 120 days of the incident under MCL 691.1404. Missing this deadline can bar recovery entirely, regardless of how strong the underlying claim may be.

Compensation Swimming Pool Accident Victims May Recover

The damages available in a pool injury claim depend on the severity of the injury and its long-term effects. Recoverable damages can include past and future medical expenses, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the cost of long-term rehabilitation or custodial care.

Near-drowning cases involving anoxic brain injury often require expert projections from life care planners and economists to accurately capture lifetime care needs. We work with those professionals to build these projections into your claim.

When a pool accident results in death, Michigan’s Wrongful Death Act (MCL 600.2922) allows surviving family members to seek compensation for medical expenses incurred before death, funeral costs, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and the deceased’s pain and suffering.

Why Traverse City Families Choose Miller Embury PLLC

We’re a Traverse City firm. Our attorneys Nathan P. Miller and Ryann S. Embury are present in Grand Traverse County courts and familiar with the insurers, defense firms, and local dynamics that shape how these cases resolve. When an insurer undervalues a claim, we can take it to trial. That willingness to litigate can change the negotiating dynamic from the start.

Our record reflects that approach: millions recovered for personal injury and wrongful death clients across Northern and Western Michigan. Every case receives direct attorney involvement, not hand-offs to support staff. We’re recognized by The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Avvo Clients’ Choice for Personal Injury, and Martindale-Hubbell, and we operate on a strict contingency fee basis so cost isn’t a barrier to pursuing your claim.

Contact a Swimming Pool Accident Lawyer in Traverse City

Evidence in pool accident cases disappears quickly. Incident reports get filed away, surveillance footage is overwritten, and witnesses’ memories fade. Acting promptly also helps keep Michigan’s three-year filing deadline and the 120-day government pool notice requirement within reach.

Call Miller Embury PLLC at (888) 224-1239 to speak with a swimming pool accident lawyer serving Traverse City and Northern Michigan. We offer free case evaluations by phone or online, we’re available 24/7, and there are no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.