Pool decks are like ice; you know they're likely to be slippery much of the time, and care is needed when you walk on them. So if you slip and fall on the deck and injure yourself, why would you file a personal injury lawsuit?

Despite their reputation, pool decks can be made safer, and people around the pool can be more careful. So, if you've slipped, fallen, and sustained an injury on a pool deck, it is possible that there was neglect or recklessness on the part of someone else involved. If you feel your fall wasn't your fault and could have been prevented, you should speak with a slip and fall attorney.

State Laws and Nonslip Material

In many states, the concrete pool deck of your youth is no longer legally allowed in certain cases. It's not unusual now for states to have laws mandating nonslip materials be used for the surface around a pool. Older pools might not have to follow that requirement (in other words, they had existing concrete and were grandfathered in when the law changed), but that can vary. If it turns out that you took all the precautions you could but slipped on wet concrete that was supposed to be covered in a rubber surface material, for example, then the pool owner could have been negligent.

Mind-Numbing Recklessness

Of course, your behavior does play a role. If you recklessly ran out to a wet concrete pool deck in smooth-soled shoes and slipped, even though you could see the deck was wet, your case would likely be reduced. Even if there was negligence on the part of another person or company, the court might consider your behavior to be just as negligent and thus not eligible for an award.

Third-Party Interference

Remember that the defendant in your case may not necessarily be the pool owner. The pool company that built the deck may have used defective materials or installed them poorly; maybe you were careful and the pool owner vigilant, but a neighbor's kid ran into you, knocking you down. It could be that your shoes that were supposed to be slip-resistant had defective soles. You do not want to sue people left and right, as that's frivolous, but you do need to figure out who and what were ultimately responsible for you falling and injuring yourself as you did.

An attorney with experience in slip-and-fall cases is the best person to talk to now as you try to unravel the mess that got you injured. If someone was negligent, they should cover your medical bills and other costs associated with your injury.