Maison Law stands beside families after they’ve lost a loved one in a drowning accident at a Fresno area lake. We help victims hold property owners, businesses, and government agencies accountable when victims are allowed to swim in unsafe waters and without proper safety precautions. To find out how to hold at-fault parties fully accountable for their negligence in a drowning, contact a skilled Fresno lawyer and schedule a free consultation.
Lake Drowning Dangers in Fresno County
Many Fresno residents enjoy “lake life” during the summer and fall months. Area lakes like Millerton Lake, Shaver Lake, and Huntington Lake are popular spots to swim and enjoy water sports.
Unfortunately, any natural body of water carries with it more dangers than a normal pool with clear water, a stable surface under the water, and known depths.
Swimmers and boaters must always respect Mother Nature, but in many cases, there are things the owners and operators of lakes can do to reduce the risk of drowning and near-drownings.
Property owners and business owners who make money off of lakes can warn swimmers of dangers. Government parks and recreation departments can also be expected to restrict access to dangerous beaches and monitor reckless visitors who can harm others.
When those responsible for lakes neglect these duties to keep guests safe, they can be fully liable when someone is lost to a tragic drowning. Often these drownings could have been prevented with a little more caution shown by those in charge.
If your loved one suffers a life-threatening injury or dies after a dangerous experience in a local lake, it’s a good idea to have a skilled Fresno Drowning Accident Lawyer watching out for your family’s interests. Drowning accidents can leave you seeking money from businesses and government agencies and these claims and lawsuits can be complex. A lawyer helps your family seek justice and secure the support they need to avoid financial problems in a future without a loved one’s guidance.
What Hazards Can Leave a Property Owner Liable After a Lake Drowning?
Many dangers around a natural or manmade body of water can threaten the lives of those who wade in. Sadly many of the risks can be lessened or prevented with a little bit of action by property owners, business owners, and government departments.
These are just a few of the hazards around local lakes that can cause harm to swimmers and lead to drownings:
- Steep banks
- Changing depths
- Underwater and invisible obstructions
- Muddy bottoms
- More exhausting conditions while swimming
- A lack of gates and barriers to keep swimmers off dangerous shores
- Sudden changes in weather
- Cold water temperatures
- Slip-and-fall hazards on docks and piers
- Dangers around spillways, dams, and drains.
- Reckless boaters, including drunk boaters
- Damaging waves and wakes
- A lack of floatation devices provided for boat, sailboat, inner tubes, and paddleboat rentals
Owners and operators, and government entities must post warning signs about all of these dangers that guests may not be aware of. Government entities must also monitor for the bad decisions of other guests and remove careless boaters and others who could cause someone to drown. They can also be legally responsible if they don’t prevent someone from entering dangerous waters, even if the victim is trespassing at the time.
If they fail in these responsibilities, those at fault can be required to pay for medical expenses and in the most tragic cases, funeral costs. A skilled lake drowning lawyer can help you collect the evidence necessary to prevent a landowner or government entity from avoiding liability.
How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim After a Lake Drowning?
In some cases, up to two years after a drowning accident. If a property owner or a business owner contributes to the death of your loved one, California empowers your family to file a wrongful death claim within two years of the death.
But holding a government entity, like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) overseeing Pine Flat Lake, will have different statutes. Government parks and recreation departments enjoy certain protections that make it harder to hold them liable for negligence. In some cases, families have to file paperwork simply to get permission from the government to file a lawsuit.
The deadlines for cases filed against the city will often have much shorter deadlines than normal liability cases. Families must seek help from a skilled California wrongful death lawyer when confronting a government agency.
Compensation for Families After a Tragic Drowning
A Fresno Drowning Accident Lawyer makes sure the at-fault party is held 100% liable for every hardship a family is put through.
Every damage the family faces now and will face in the future must be included in a wrongful death claim. Anything left off would be something a liability insurance company could ignore.
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 entering college and graduating and sharing the gift of childbirth with parents. 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 now and in the future.
- Cost of psychological counseling for family members to help them cope with the loss.
- Loss of consortium. (The lost support of 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 Fresno Drowning Accident Lawyer
After a lake drowning accident claims the life of a loved one, take action to seek justice from a negligent property owner or business owner. Contact the skilled Fresno Drowning Accident Attorney 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.
Families should also know that Maison Law fights for the rights of families on a contingency basis. It means we don’t get paid unless we win the case for your family. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check or judgment your family receives.
