Beaumont Swimming and Drowning Accident Attorneys
Every family dreams of having a swimming pool in their own backyard. It is easy to picture days spent together as a family having fun and making memories around the pool. However, if proper precautions are not taken, swimming pools can quickly become a nightmare.
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Texas lead the nation in 2019 for pool drownings in children ages 15 and under. Last year there were 34 reported child drownings in pools in Texas. Florida was next with 23, and California followed with 19.
Swimming pools also pose other dangers besides drowning and near-drowning, such as slip and fall accidents caused by slippery surfaces and diving accidents. Injuries from slides and pool drains are also common.
If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a swimming pool accident, you should speak to an experienced Beaumont swimming pool accident attorney so that you can learn what your rights are under the law. At Portner Bond, PLLC, we understand that confronting the death or a serious injury of a child is devastating. We are committed to providing our clients with compassionate representation during this difficult period in their lives.
Our legal professionals have over 70 years of legal experience representing victims of swimming pool accidents. We will work tirelessly and diligently to ensure that that you and your family receive the compensation you deserve for the tragedy that befell you and your family.
If a loved one in your family was injured or drowned in a swimming pool accident in Beaumont, call the attorneys at Portner Bond, PLLC as soon as you are able to discuss your swimming pool accident lawsuit.
Our attorneys are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can be reached at (409) 838-4444. You can also contact us via online chat or by email if it is more convenient for you. Our initial consultation is confidential and free of cost.
At Portner Bond, PLLC, we never charge a fee for our services unless we recover money for you.
Do I Need a Beaumont Swimming Pool Accident Attorney?
A skilled, professional, and caring swimming pool accident attorney can be a source of comfort following a tragic loss. The attorneys at Portner Bond, PLLC are available to help during a difficult and challenging period.
If you or a family member sustained a serious injury in a swimming pool accident, or if a loved one drowned in a swimming pool accident, you are entitled to compensation for your loss.
At Portner Bond, PLLC, we will thoroughly explain the process involved in recovering the compensation to which you are entitled. We will also handle all of the prerequisite steps necessary for you to collect what you are owed.
Our attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation to obtain all of the evidence necessary to ensure a favorable result on your behalf. This will include speaking to witnesses of the accident, the owners of the pool, maintenance staff, and others with pertinent information regarding the pool.
We will also speak to experts with respect to pool safety and maintenance to determine what actions the owner did or did not take that lead to the tragic accident.
We will also work diligently to obtain all the documents necessary to prove your swimming pool accident case. The insurance companies require this documentation before they will agree to settle your case.
These documents may include the police report, witness statement, emergency room records, and photographs of the accident scene. We will also obtain information on all insurance policies available to pay towards a settlement of your claim, including any excess insurance policies that may exist.
We will also obtain copies of documents related to the damages you incurred, which may include the death certificate, medical records and bills, employment records and pay stubs, and receipts for your out-of-pocket expenses.
If we cannot settle your case for a fair and reasonable value, we will aggressively prepare your case for trial and do our absolute best to ensure that the jury awards a verdict in your favor.
Why Choose Portner Bond, PLLC?
Chris Portner is a founder of Portner Bond, PLLC. He is a graduate of the University of Houston where he received his degree in Economics. He then went on to graduate from Tulane Law School, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif for his high achievements in the study of law.
In 2000, Chris left the corporate law arena and began representing victims of personal injury in Beaumont, Texas. Over the last twenty years, he has represented people injured in automobile and truck accidents, slip and fall accidents, premises liability matters, and asbestos cases.
Chris has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for his clients. His many successes have earned him recognition in the legal community at large. In 2007 and 2008, Chris was recognized as a rising star by Texas Super Lawyers. He was also made a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum as well as the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
A native Texan, Chris was raised in League City Texas and graduated from Clear Creek High School. When he is not practicing law, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and children.
Trent Bond is one of Texas’s premier trial attorneys. He focuses 90% of his practice on litigation.
Trent is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Only ten percent of all lawyers in Texas have earned this recognition. He has consistently been named as a Texas Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly. Like his partner Chris, Trent is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Trent is also a member of the Texas Bar Association, and the Jefferson County Bar Association. He previously served as a Director and Vice President in the Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association. He also served as a Prosecutor in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office.
Trent is a graduate of the University of Houston. He received his law degree from South Texas College of Law. He was raised in Pasadena, Texas, and is a graduate of South Houston High School.
Trent supports his community by working with “Some Other Place,” a non-profit organization that helps the homeless population in Beaumont. He also enjoys coaching his children’s baseball and basketball teams.
Tom Kiehnhoff has dedicated his practice to representing both individuals and private businesses. He previously worked as Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas. He served as a member of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Policy Subcommittee and organized a statewide task force to prosecute environmental crimes in Texas. As a federal prosecutor, he had the privilege of representing the U.S. in cases under a wide range of federal environmental and regulatory statutes.
Tom has been working as a private attorney since 2001 and has represented clients in civil cases in state and federal court. He has also represented clients in white-collar criminal matters, as well as businesses in cases brought by the EPA. He currently focuses his practice on personal injury litigation, business, and insurance litigation.
Types of Swimming Pool Accident Cases We Handle
Swimming pool accident cases involve issues of premises liability law. That is, a claim or lawsuit for injuries sustained in a swimming pool accident must be brought against the owner of the property.
This may include the homeowner of a residential swimming pool, the commercial owner of a private pool located in an apartment complex, a gym or a hotel, or the municipal government that owns the community pool.
There are specific laws in Beaumont that pool owners must abide by. In Texas, pool owners have a duty under the law to install:
- An enclosure around the pool and pool that is at least four feet high, with four-inch openings or less (chain link fences are not permitted);
- A self-closing and self-latching gate in the fence that surrounds the pool area, along with hardware that allows the gate to be locked;
- A door that closes automatically and that has a latch that automatically engages when the door is closed (unless it is a sliding glass door); or
- A door handle latch or security bar that is not more than 48 inches above the floor for a sliding glass door, along with a lock.
Pool owners must also keep safety equipment in the pool area. These include:
- A pool cover;
- A throwing rope that is at least one-quarter inch in thickness;
- A reaching pole that is at least 12 feet long;
- A ring buoy;
- A backboard (if the pool has a diving board or a slide);
- A first-aid kit; and
- A telephone.
More importantly, pool owners are responsible for supervising children in their swimming pools at all times.
If a pool owner in Beaumont fails to follow all of these rules and regulations, they could be held liable for any injuries that occur in their pool.
Additionally, Texas has passed the attractive nuisance doctrine. This means that if a pool owner fails to install the appropriate barrier and allows for easy access to their pool, they can be held liable for a drowning that occurs in their pool, even if they are not present on the property at the time.
Call the Beaumont Attorneys at Portner Bond, PLLC Now
If you or a loved one are a victim of a swimming pool accident or fatality, the attorneys at Portner Bond, PLLC are available to help during this difficult period.
Call Portner Bond, PLLC now at (409) 838-4444 to discuss your swimming pool accident case to learn about your legal rights. Our premises liability attorneys are available to speak to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can also be reached by online chat or by email. Our initial consultation is free.
At Portner Bond, PLLC, we don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement or a verdict on your behalf.