Maison Law can represent you or a loved one if you’ve been involved in a Glendale drowning accident. Our experienced personal injury lawyers know how scary and damaging even near-drownings can be. To get the recovery process under way, contact us today for a free consultation.
How Can Our Lawyers Help You?
Drowning or almost drowning is really scary. Even if you survive, the injuries and damage tends to last well after the incident itself. At the same time, whether you need a lawyer depends on what happened. If your injuries are small, you might not need one, but you still have the right to get help if you want.
If your injuries from the drowning are serious, our lawyers can help you. Here’s what we do:
- Find out what happened – We look into how the accident occurred. For example, if it happened at a public pool, we check if there were safety problems or mistakes.
- Get evidence – We help you collect important information like medical records, witness statements, or photos of the accident scene.
- Figure out who’s responsible – We determine who caused the accident. For instance, if a property owner didn’t keep their place safe, they might be responsible.
- Evaluate your damages – We work out how much financial support you should get for what you lost because of the accident, like medical bills or lost income or earnings.
- Deal with insurance – Like any accident, an insurance company is going to get involved. We can handle communicating and negotiating with them for the best result.
- Give legal advice – We explain the steps in making a legal claim and what to expect.
- Make things less stressful – Dealing with the legal process can be hard, so we handle the paperwork and negotiations to make it easier for you.
No matter what the circumstances are, a drowning accident can be quite serious. That’s why we take pride in our approach, and while we’re able to help, there’s a few things to remember and figure out.
How Should You Respond During a Drowning Accident?
A drowning accident isn’t just serious in nature, it can actually happen anywhere there’s water. This narrows them down quite a bit in terms of where they usually happen, but another important part of the claims process is how you respond. So, when you’re involved in one of these accidents, you need to make sure to:
- Call for help – If you witness someone drowning, immediately call 911. Only attempt to aid them if it’s safe for you as well. If you find yourself in danger of drowning, try to signal for help from anyone nearby.
- Provide aid – If the person is unconscious upon exiting the water, perform CPR if trained to do so. Keep them stable until paramedics arrive. If you’re the one involved and able, seek medical care at the scene and further care at a hospital.
- Report the incident – Inform lifeguards, owners, park rangers, or the police about the accident, depending on its location.
- Take detailed notes – If you’re involved in the incident, jot down where, when, and how it occurred. This information is valuable for insurance or legal purposes.
- Seek further medical care – Even if everyone appears fine initially, it’s crucial to visit the hospital to check for hidden injuries or potential complications.
- Document the accident scene – Capture photos and videos of the accident site if possible, and gather contact information from witnesses. These records can support insurance or legal claims later on.
- Follow up with healthcare providers – Stay in touch with your doctors and follow their recommendations for your recovery.
Again, every drowning accident is different, but these actions are pretty much universal. At the same time, sometimes taking these steps is easier said than done. That’s where we can help, and make sure you have what you need for a strong claim.
Liability and Damages in a Drowning Accident Claim
The way your injury claim will play out has a lot to do with the actions you take after the accident, but even more so to do with the circumstances. Chief among these are where the accident happens. It’s true that a drowning accident happens anywhere there’s a water source, but most often, they happen at one of Glendale’s many:
- Pools
- Water parks
- Hotels
- Parks
- Private residences
Like any accident, actual liability for a drowning or near-drowning comes down to negligence.
This refers to the legal duty that a property owner or manager has to keep you and others safe and free from potential hazards. With that in mind, several potential parties could either be totally liable or at least share some of the responsibility, like:
- Property owners for inadequate safety measures.
- Supervisors for negligent supervision.
- Individuals who act recklessly.
- Manufacturers of defective products.
- Government entities for negligence in public areas.
Damages
Once you’ve established liability, you can proceed with filing an injury claim. Typically, this involves starting with an insurance claim, navigating through that process, and then, based on the settlement offer, deciding whether to pursue a personal injury lawsuit.
Regardless of the path you take, you can seek financial considerations for specific damages from the liable parties. These damages may include:
- Medical expenses for treatment and therapy.
- Lost wages and potential earnings.
- Property damage, such as repair and replacement costs.
- Support for pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
- Loss of enjoyment of life or companionship because of the accident.
- Wrongful death expenses if the accident results in the death of you or your loved one.
- Punitive damages in extreme cases of misconduct.
Remember, you have two years from the date of the accident to file your injury claim. Miss it, and you won’t be able to recover these damages.
What Causes Drowning Accidents?
Even being aware that a drowning accident can happen is sometimes not enough to avoid them. But again, it’s someone else’s negligence that turns the assumed risk you take in water to giving you the option of legal action. Typically, these accidents are caused by things like:
- Inadequate supervision of swimmers, especially children or inexperienced individuals.
- Failure to maintain safety equipment like life jackets or warning signs.
- Disregarding safety rules and not informing people about potential dangers.
- Insufficient training provided to staff involved in water activities.
- Ignoring known hazards in the water, such as rocks or strong currents.
- Allowing individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol to participate in water activities without proper supervision.
- Lack of preparedness for emergencies, including absence of emergency response protocols and inadequate first aid training for staff.
There are lots of things that can cause a drowning accident. But what’s important for you, the victim, to know is that you have the support of our legal team if you want to take action to hold those responsible accountable.
Get Help from Maison Law After a Glendale Drowning Accident
At Maison Law, we’re dedicated to making sure those at fault for drowning accidents in Glendale are held responsible. Our experienced Glendale drowning accident lawyers will help you through the legal process and make sure you have the support necessary for your recovery. Contact us today for a free consultation to get started.
