I started thinkng about this after swimming this morning at ASU and once again seeing that the 3 guards on duty were not in any of the chairs but instead were in the office texting and playing on duty.
So what happens if God forbid a swimmer is injured or dies in workout (I guess even if the guard is on duty)...can they sue the coach?
I know USMS has an insurance program for clubs and being to lazy wonder is anyone knows if it covers this?
I also wonder how many paidand/or volunteer coaches have any type of contract for this sort of thing?
Parents
Former Member
I'm in law school with just enough knowledge to be dangerous. I do not believe that a coach could be held liable unless some affirmative action on the part of the coach created an increased risk of drowning.
The lifeguards could be held liable if they're behavior on the job was found to have contributed to the swimmer's drowning by not being there to save them.
The only way I can think of that a coach could be held liable is if they put the swimmer in a dangerous position such as: underwater swims, diving in shallow water, etc.
This is not real legal advice. I only have one semester of law school and barely know what I'm talking about.
Caveat Emptor
I'm in law school with just enough knowledge to be dangerous. I do not believe that a coach could be held liable unless some affirmative action on the part of the coach created an increased risk of drowning.
The lifeguards could be held liable if they're behavior on the job was found to have contributed to the swimmer's drowning by not being there to save them.
The only way I can think of that a coach could be held liable is if they put the swimmer in a dangerous position such as: underwater swims, diving in shallow water, etc.
This is not real legal advice. I only have one semester of law school and barely know what I'm talking about.
Caveat Emptor
