Maison Law stands beside Chico families to help them seek justice and financial support after a tragic drowning. We help victims hold property owners and operators responsible when victims are allowed access to unsafe pools, lakes, and rivers. Contact Maison Law and schedule a free consultation. It’s a no-risk way to determine how you and your family can hold those at fault for a tragedy completely liable through a wrongful death claim.
Should My Family Contact a Lawyer After a Tragic Drowning?
If your loved one was claimed in a heartbreaking drowning, and someone’s negligence was to blame, it’s a good idea to speak to a lawyer about your options. Those at fault would have to give your family support at such a difficult time. But those at fault can dispute fault and even blame a precious loved one for what happened.
A business owner or a city department operating a pool or a swimming area would also be backed by teams of lawyers. These lawyers would be tasked with shifting blame away from their clients or limiting the support families received by any means possible. It’s wise to have your own strong legal representation in a complex wrongful death case.
Your lawyer would fully investigate the drowning and the location where it happened. Your lawyer would step in when those at fault tried to shed blame. Your attorney also seeks to maximize your family’s claim as they struggle with funeral bills and the loss of income the victim may have supported the family with.
A skilled attorney can often earn families much more in a wrongful death settlement than they could by handling a claim themselves.
Who Is Responsible for a Drowning in Butte County CA?
Any Chico area business or public location that features a pool should take extra care to protect its guests. Too often, the guests are children who are at the most risk of drowning, especially when supervision isn’t provided. This responsibility to provide lifeguards can be the city’s responsibility at a public pool, like Pleasant Valley Pool in Chico. It can apply to the operators of Wake Island Waterpark in Pleasant Grove.
California Civil Code CCC 1714 holds all property and business owners liable for any visitors. This, of course, includes the owners and operators of pools and swimming areas on lakes and rivers.
They must do everything possible to make swimming safe or to restrict access to bodies of water that aren’t safe for swimming. When they fail in this duty, the owners can be held liable and responsible for a family’s loss after a tragic accident.
These are just a few of the potential responsible parties that Maison Law can help you file a wrongful death claim against:
- Property and Business Owners
- Waterpark Owners
- Homeowners
- Homeowners Association (HOA)
- Hotel Owners
- Landlords
- Property management companies
- Hotel Owners
- Farm and Orchard Owners responsible for ponds and irrigation canals
- City or County Government Department
- State or Federal Agency
Suing a Government Agency for a Drowning
City or county departments that are in charge of public natural swimming spots like Sycamore Pool can be liable for a tragic accident. State-run locations like swimming areas along California Park Lake might leave California agencies liable for a tragic loss that could have been prevented.
Cases against governmental departments can be complex. Cities and County officials have special protections against lawsuits. They may have the power to approve (or not approve) any attempt to file a claim after a drowning. And victims may only have a few months to file a wrongful death claim before the statute of limitations runs out. Talk to Maison Law as soon after a tragedy as you can to find out how to give your claim the best chance of success.
What Makes a Property Owner Liable for a Drowning?
After a drowning, business owners, homeowners, property owners, and local government departments can be held liable when they fail to provide these and other safety precautions:
- Providing an adequate number of properly trained lifeguards.
- Providing proper onsite safety devices.
- Maintenance of pools to prevent hazards with drains and pumps.
- Removal of slip-and-fall hazards on docks and around pools that might send someone into the water while unconscious.
- Preventing overcrowding.
- Providing fencing and security measures to prevent unattended people from entering unsafe bodies of water, such as at lakes and rivers, and reservoirs found on farms.
- Putting up warning signs about hazards in natural bodies of water.
- Keeping swimmers out of the path of careless boaters.
- Lack of supervision to keep children safe and out of dangerous situations.
These and any other negligence on the part of an owner or an agency would be strong evidence in a wrongful death case.
Compensation for Butte County Families After a Tragic Drowning
The loss of a precious loved one is the worst pain imaginable. But families are put through other difficulties from the first news of a tragedy. The spouse and children of the victim will face the cost of a funeral service. They will probably have emergency response fees arriving within the first weeks after a drowning.
Close relatives may need adequate and urgent financial help to avoid immediate bankruptcy and financial turmoil in the future.
A Chico Wrongful Death Lawyer would file a claim that includes a full list of the family’s hardships. This alerts the insurer for the at-fault party to everything they’ll be held accountable for.
These and other factors would determine the size of the wrongful death settlement or judgment:
- Totals on leftover medical bills and ambulance fees.
- Support to pay for a funeral and burial.
- The emotional hardships a family will suffer.
- Support for children of the victims who have lost the love and guidance of a parent. That includes the cherished moments of graduation, weddings, and childbirth. Those moments can’t be replaced, but those at fault must be held accountable.
- Support for parents who lose the love and companionship of a child for the rest of their lives.
- Cost of psychological counseling for family members to help them cope with the loss.
- Loss of consortium. (The loss of intimacy with a spouse or partner)
- Reimbursement for the wages the victim can no longer contribute to the family in the coming years.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Chico Drowning Accident Attorney
Families in mourning are generally allowed up to two years after a tragic drowning to file a wrongful death claim. But cases against government agencies can have shorter statutes of limitations (see above). Waiting can hurt your case. Evidence can disappear, and witnesses may become hard to track down. It’s important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible so an investigation can begin immediately.
After a careless drowning accident claims the life of a loved one, take action to seek justice from a negligent property owner or a governmental department. Contact the skilled Drowning Accident Lawyers at Maison Law for a free consultation and case evaluation. It’s a no-risk way to find out how to keep a negligent party from avoiding blame and how to secure every benefit possible for your family after a tragedy.
