At Maison Law, we represent drowning accident victims at any lake or other water source in Bakersfield. Our team has the resources and skill you need to recover from any injuries, or to hold those responsible accountable in the face of a fatal accident. To learn more about the process, contact us today for a free consultation.
Do You Need a Lawyer?
Even an accident as serious as a drowning at one of the many lakes in the Bakersfield area doesn’t always mean you need a lawyer. There’s no requirement in California that says you have to have one represent you in an injury claim. That said, most drownings are going to be very damaging in terms of your injuries and especially complicated when it comes to figuring out who’s responsible. These are two areas where our experienced team can be a huge benefit to you.
But we can also help in other ways:
- Explaining the law and your options
- Gathering crucial evidence
- Speaking to witnesses and experts
- Negotiating with insurance companies and responsible parties
More than anything, we just want to make the process easier for you and your family. Any injury is going to impact your entire network of friends and family, so we can take over the legal process and allow you to focus on your physical recovery.
What Should You Do After a Lake Drowning Accident?
It’s not that complicated to understand what needs to be done if you’re involved in a drowning accident at a lake. At the same time, though, these can happen suddenly and without warning, and can also be extremely traumatic. So, it’s important to act quickly and to take the following steps:
- Call for help – If you start to struggle to stay above water, call for help right away. Alert someone near you or a lifeguard (if there is one) for help.
- Report the accident – Once you’re safe, you or someone else needs to report the incident to someone in charge, whether it be a homeowner or lake official. They should respond to make sure nothing else goes wrong.
- Get medical attention at the scene – Call 911 to have an ambulance respond and give you medical care at the scene. This will take care of any immediate injuries.
- Document the scene – If you’re able, take pictures and videos of the lake scene, including any injuries or anything that may have contributed to the drowning.
- Talk to any witnesses – If there are witnesses, talk to them and get their contact information.
- Get further medical care – Once everything is taken care of at the scene, make sure to get further medical care at a hospital to address any more serious injuries or ones that may not show up right away.
Hopefully, these steps will speed up any rescue efforts. There’s nothing more important than your health and safety. Yet, when you’re involved in a drowning at a lake in Bakersfield, the legal process is almost equally as important to your recovery. The first step in the process is figuring out who’s going to pay for your injuries.
Who Pays For Your Damages After a Lake Drowning Accident?
Figuring out who’s responsible is very important when someone gets hurt, especially in drowning accidents. If it happens at a lake in Bakersfield, there’s a lot of focus on who might be to blame. But it’s not always easy to figure out and depends on a number of circumstances.
What separates these incidents is when negligence is involved. This, actually, is what makes a lake drowning accident a legal issue. Negligence, at least in this context, refers to the responsible party’s:
- Failure to keep you and others safe.
Who’s responsible for a lake drowning can change depending on if the lake is owned by the government or a private person. Most lakes in Bakersfield are owned by the city or state, but some belong to private landowners who live by the water. If the accident happens on their property, they might be responsible for what happened.
Sometimes, it’s not just the property owners who could be responsible. Companies that make safety equipment, lifeguards, or even people who didn’t help when they could have might also share the blame.
It’s important to think about all this because Bakersfield has access to many different lakes, many of which are popular. Some of the most popular are:
- Buena Vista Lake
- Kern Lake
- Lake Evans
- Lake Webb
- Lake Ming
- Isabella Lake
No matter where the drowning happens, what makes these cases different is what caused the accident in the first place. Whether it’s a lack of supervision, overcrowding, or a failure to warn you of hazards, these incidents frequently lead to serious damage.
Damages in a Bakersfield Lake Drowning Accident
As an injury claim, a drowning accident is going to leave you facing certain “damages.” In legal terms, this refers to your losses that were caused by the accident. The law allows you the opportunity to recover these losses by filing a claim. Typically, this is done by either filing:
- An insurance claim
- A personal injury lawsuit
What’s available to you in a claim depends on the circumstances, but generally, you can recover the following:
- Medical expenses and ongoing care costs
- Lost income or earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of companionship or quality of life
- Repair/replacement costs for any property damage
- Wrongful death expenses
Injuries
Legal damages are one thing, but in real-world terms, a drowning is likely going to cause extensive injuries. This is true even in a near-drowning. The nature of a drowning makes potential injuries very unpredictable, yet there are a few that are common throughout:
- Water inhalation – Breathing in water can cause damage to your lungs and lead to respiratory issues.
- Brain damage – Lack of oxygen to your brain during drowning can result in brain injury, which may lead to long-term neurological problems.
- Heart problems – Submersion in water can trigger cardiac arrest, where your heart stops beating, causing serious health complications.
- Hypothermia – Prolonged exposure to cold water can lead to a drop in body temperature, causing hypothermia, which can be life-threatening.
- Submersion injuries – Trauma can happen from hitting objects underwater or from being pulled under by currents, resulting in bruises, cuts, or broken bones.
- Secondary drowning – Inhaling even a small amount of water can lead to inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs, which can cause breathing difficulties hours or days after the initial incident.
- Psychological trauma – Even surviving a drowning accident can lead to psychological trauma, such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), impacting your mental health and well-being.
Every drowning accident is different, so it’s important to explore all your options for recovery if you or someone you know is involved and suffers these injuries. One thing you can do is lean on the support of our team.
Contact Maison Law if You’re in a Drowning Accident at a Bakersfield Lake
Bakersfield’s lakes are usually a fun place, but it can be dangerous if you start to drown. Maison Law understands how tough this situation can be and can assist with your legal claim. Our Bakersfield drowning accident lawyers will guide you through the recovery process. To get the process started, contact us today for a free consultation.
