A jury has awarded $3.8 million to the family of a former Alabama State University football player who died after an incident at a hotel swimming pool. The lawsuit alleged that employees at the Rodeway Inn in Montgomery allowed 19-year-old Derrick Marshall to use the pool even though it had been shut down by the county health department. It took more than 10 minutes to find Marshall after he began drowning in the cloudy water, family members said. Marshall was left in a vegetative state and died several months later. Scott Johnson, The Montgomery Advertiser 08/26/2009 Read Article: The Montgomery Advertiser Swimming pools can be very dangerous. The case mentioned above shows that cloudy water can be a hazard in not seeing a swimmer in distress. Pool drains have been the source of much litigation, especially with children, as the suction can hold a child at the bottom of a pool unable to escape. Newer systems have multiple drains that prevents these tragic occurrences. Additionally, if a pool is not properly secured with fences children, or others that are not strong swimmers, may find themselves in trouble. In these cases the property owner can be held liable. As always please contact us with any questions or concerns regarding swimming pool or other injuries.
