A day at Folsom Lake makes for a great getaway from city life. Visitors to this 11,000-acre lake can enjoy watersports, fishing, camping, horseback riding, and hiking all in one convenient location. The lake is also connected to Lake Natoma and Sacramento by almost continuous bike trails, making it a premier cycling destination.
With all the fun to be found, people aren’t always focused on safety as much as they should be. A careless boat operator or a distracted tour guide could cause an accident and leave you or a family member with a serious injury.
A scary Folsom Lake boating accident or any other type of personal injury accident around the lake could make a lengthy and expensive medical recovery necessary. In these cases, you must know what to do and how to hold those at-fault fully accountable.
Filing an Injury Claim After an Accident on Folsom Lake
Folsom lake lies just a half-hour’s drive from Sacramento, an hour-and-a-half from Stockton, and only a couple of hours from the Bay Area. It’s a convenient way to enjoy the sun, the water, and nature. Unfortunately, there is always the chance of an accident with any outdoor activity.
After an accident on or around Folsom Lake, it’s vital that you take immediate action to preserve your chance to hold a careless or reckless at-fault party responsible.
After injuries are treated and everyone is safe, the focus will have to be on filing a personal injury claim against the at-fault party’s insurance provider. This is the only way to keep you and your family from being targeted by a stream of medical bills and other hardships over an accident that was your fault.
Insurance companies won’t just hand you a settlement check though. You’ll need solid evidence proving what happened to force insurance adjusters to treat you fairly. To give your boating accident personal injury claim the best chance of success, you’ll need strong evidence proving your innocence.
What to Do After an Accident on Folsom Lake
Your California Boating Accident Lawyer will be investigating the circumstances of your accident. However, the most powerful evidence is often found on the scene in the moments after your accident.
If you are involved in a Folsom Lake Boating Accident or hurt in any other sort of accident around the lake, try to secure these details on the scene:
- Dial 911. Check on the status of all boat passengers and make sure they are still in the boat. Make sure everyone has flotation devices. In a cycling accident, try to get to a safe spot where you can’t be hit again. Tell officers everything you remember about the accident. Allow EMTs to examine all injuries. Go to the emergency room if necessary. If you can’t remain on the scene, ask someone with you to gather evidence.
- Document the scene with the camera on your phone. Take photos of boat damage. Show any visible injuries. If you see signs that the other boat operator has been partaking in alcohol or drugs, take photos. If you are hurt in a slip-and-fall accident at the marina at Brown’s Ravine or during a tour around the lake, take photos of the hazard that caused your accident. After a cycling collision involving a careless motorist, take pictures of the car damage and your bike.
- Exchange information with the other boat operator or motorist. Get boat registration information and insurance information if available. If you are hurt on a horseback riding tour or a boat tour get the operator’s employee number and employer information.
- Talk to witnesses and get contact information. Good Samaritans may not have witnessed the accident, but they could testify to the severity of your injuries when they stopped to help you.
- Preserve evidence. Save all damaged personal property. Don’t throw out bloody clothing and don’t wash it. Don’t get rid of a damaged boat or bike.
- See your doctor. After an accident get yourself and your family members checked out by your family doctor and any specialists the doctor recommends. Save all medical invoices.
Who Can Be Financially Liable After a Folsom Lake Accident
As you face a stack of medical bills and lose more and more time at your job, your financial situation can quickly turn into a problem. Fortunately, your Folsom Lake Personal Injury Lawyer will quickly determine every party that can be held financially responsible for your injuries and damages.
The fact is, there may be several individuals, businesses, and government departments that showed negligence in your accident. Each party may be part of a separate claim seeking to earn compensation for you and your family.
A reckless boat operator’s homeowners or boat insurance could be the first policy targeted in a claim. The actions of a negligent employee for the California Department of Parks and Recreation could have caused your injury. A claim against the state of California might be necessary.
A watercraft rental company might rent you a boat or jet ski that isn’t properly maintained or properly equipped with safety equipment. The business may be liable after an accident.
The negligence of a boat tour company or a horseback riding business might leave you or a loved one with a serious injury. These companies will have liability insurance that could be called upon.
What Can I Receive Compensation for After a Folsom Lake Accident
Boating accident and personal injury victims have up to 24 months to file a claim for damages. Once this two-year deadline passes, an at-fault party can no longer be asked to help you pay for your medical bills and other costs. These costs are then your responsibility.
You shouldn’t take advantage of the full two years after an accident. Turn your case over to a Folsom Lake accident lawyer as soon as possible so your lawyer can begin building a strong case for you.
Once this case is submitted to an insurance company, your California personal injury attorney will seek compensation for these and other hardships you’ve faced:
- All medical bills already received and those expected in the future.
- Long-term costs that come with a permanent physical disability.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families who lose a loved one to someone’s negligence on the lake are encouraged to file a wrongful death claim. This claim seeks support to pay for a funeral and burial. It would also secure money to protect the family from financial harm in the future after they’ve lost the care and financial support the deceased had always provided.
- Financial support for emotional distress and the physical pain you’ve been subjected to. Emotional anguish includes depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. The loss of enjoyment of life is also a factor.
- Paychecks you’ve lost while missing work hours during recovery.
- Damage or destruction of property. Money for boat repairs or replacement.
Contact a Folsom Lake Accident Lawyer
Insurance representatives for at-fault parties will be calling you after your boating accident. They hope you’ll give them a recorded statement about what happened. Legally, you aren’t required to give this statement and you should decline. Insurance adjusters hope to twist your statement around later and use it as an excuse to reject your claim. Let your personal injury lawyer handle these calls while you focus on healing.
Contact a skilled California Boating Accident Lawyer like Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law. He offers a free, no-obligation case consultation to all victims and their family members. If you choose Mr. Gasparian to represent your boating injury claim, you won’t need any upfront money. He doesn’t get paid unless he wins your case.
