Maison Law stands beside families after they’ve lost a loved one in a drowning accident in a California canal or aqueduct. We help victims hold farm 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 California lawyer and schedule a free consultation
Should My Family Contact a Lawyer After a Canal Drowning?
When you aren’t sure if your family has the legal grounds to demand help after a tragic drowning, you should speak to a local attorney. There’s no risk in talking over a drowning accident case in a free consultation with a skilled California drowning accident lawyer. Maison Law is happy to answer your questions in a confidential case review.
In a drowning that happens in a canal, families of the victims often must seek support through a wrongful death claim from farmers, agricultural companies, and even city, county, and state government agencies. These entities will have the money to afford a team of lawyers. They’ll try to blame your loved one for what happened. They’ll also try to convince your family to agree to accept as little in support as possible.
Your Maison Law attorney is a safeguard against these typical insurance and corporate lawyer tactics. Your lawyer fully investigates your case and ensures the evidence is in place to hold property owners and companies fully responsible. Our lawyers hold at-fault parties accountable for the emotional and financial harm they’ve caused your family.
Canal and Aqueduct Drowning Dangers in California
California earns its reputation as an agricultural giant across the world. Farms surround many cities and they bring with them certain hazards, and not just for agricultural workers. Dangerous canals may attract the curiosity of young children and teens.
When property owners and municipalities don’t prevent access to the hazards that canals pose, and someone gets hurt or killed, they can be held financially responsible for the consequences.
Fresno is in the heart of the Central Valley where farms and orchards line each highway and road. Canal accidents take their toll on the community each year. The Water Safety Council of Fresno County reports that canal drownings have claimed 45 lives over a seven-year period between 2016 to 2022. Seventeen of the drowning victims were Hispanic, making up the majority of victims by far.
Farmworkers and their families can sue negligent owners and employers no matter their citizenship status.
Some cities, like Los Angeles, are also lined with hazardous aqueducts and rivers redirected into concrete channels. The Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Los Angeles River form two dangerous bodies of water that claim lives each year. The City of Los Angeles and the County can be responsible when accidents are allowed to occur.
Why are California Canals So Dangerous?
Canals running through orchards and vegetable and grain fields are much more dangerous than a swimming pool and people can misjudge the risks.
The rivers and aqueducts flowing through urban areas can also look tempting on a hot California day, but there are many hazards here as well.
Farmers and city departments are responsible for warning people of these hazards and for discouraging potential swimmers. Farmers can be responsible for unsafe work conditions around canals and a lack of safety precautions provided. Yet, in hundreds of cases, property owners and government entities fail in these duties.
These are just a few of the manmade and natural hazards that canals can pose:
- Fast currents in narrow channels
- Deep water
- Underwater obstacles like trash and debris
- Storm, flooding dangers
- Steep banks
- Slippery mud
- Wet, slippery concrete
- Sudden depth changes when water is released.
- Muddy bottoms
- Varying depths masked by muddy water
- Fast-moving water at times
- Unsafe culverts and spillways that might trap swimmers
- Cold water temperatures making it more difficult to swim or causing hypothermia
When swimmers and waders suffer serious injuries in a near-drowning or families lose a loved one to a terrible accident, property owners and city officials can be held accountable. Victims would file injury claims and seek help in paying medical bills for as long as recovery takes. Families would file wrongful death claims to seek support for things like funeral costs and paying leftover medical bills.
But these at-fault parties won’t usually make it easy for injured victims and grieving families to secure the support they need. A skilled California canal drowning lawyer takes over the case while giving families the time they need to mourn without disruption. A lawyer would gather evidence to make sure victims received the maximum in compensation possible.
Finding Support for Families After a Canal Drowning
The spouse, domestic partner, and children and grandchildren of the victim can file a wrongful death claim after a preventable drowning. They generally file on behalf of the rest of the family. Anyone who can prove they were financially dependent on the victim could ask for support from an at-fault party.
A California wrongful death lawyer can also file this claim for eligible family members. Your lawyer also fully investigates what happened and has evidence ready in case the City of Los Angeles or a farm owner tries to deny liability.
Your attorney would seek support for these factors and others in a drowning wrongful death settlement check:
- Totals on leftover medical bills and ambulance fees.
- Support to pay for a funeral and burial.
- Reimbursement for the wages the victim can no longer contribute to the family in the coming years.
- The emotional hardships a family endures and will continue to endure. Children must receive support for the love and guidance they’ll miss out on in the years ahead.
- 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)
Nothing can bring back a loved one, but these awards serve to earn justice for victims and help families avoid financial hardships in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a drowning wrongful death claim in California?
Families are granted up to two years to file a wrongful death claim against a farm owner or property owner, but claims against a government agency can have a much shorter statute of limitation.
Why do I need to file a wrongful death claim against a city or state government sooner?
The deadline to file a lawsuit against a government agency will be much shorter than in a normal case. Families may only have months to file. Governments enjoy certain protections from lawsuits and may also require families to seek permission to file a claim before filing. A lawyer helps you navigate these complex cases.
What if my family can’t afford the help of a California drowning accident lawyer?
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.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a California Drowning Accident Lawyer
After a drowning accident in a canal claims the life of a loved one, families must take action to seek justice from a negligent property owner or a government agency. We can also help the families of farmworkers who are put in harm’s way in an unsafe work environment.
Contact the skilled California 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.
