Maison Law stands beside families after they’ve lost a loved one in a drowning accident or boating accident at Lake Cachuma Lake in Santa Barbara County. 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 Santa Barbara lawyer and schedule a free consultation.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Tragic Accident at Cachuma Lake?
If someone’s negligence causes a drowning that claims a family member, it’s a good idea to talk to a Santa Barbara drowning accident lawyer. Families will understandably be in distress and perhaps vulnerable after such a tragedy. Insurance companies for negligent boaters and the Santa Barbara County Parks Department can take advantage of this and seek to provide far less than they should for their mistakes.
A Maison Law Lawyer provides a defense against the tactics of greedy insurers and can often secure more in support for families.
Nothing can bring back a lost loved one, but those responsible for a drowning should face justice. Close relatives left behind must also be supported as they deal with funeral costs and the loss of income the deceased may have provided each week for the family. A lawyer can handle frustrating wrongful death claims and seek the maximum in support possible for close relatives. Maison Law lawyers want to deal with these details while giving families as much time to grieve in peace as possible.
Lake Cachuma Drowning and Boating Accident Dangers
Plenty of people spend sunny days on Lake Cachuma to catch some rays and enjoy some great fishing. Some find spots along Santa Ynez River to wade in and cool down. These are popular spots in all seasons, but there are always dangers to beware of around natural bodies of water.
Boaters and campers must be cautious, but those who run businesses around the lake and Santa Barbara County Officials are also responsible for the safety of visitors and customers. Property owners, business owners, and government departments must show a “duty of care” to those who use boat ramps, marinas, and the lake. There will always be natural hazards around lakes or rivers, but those responsible for these lands must also work to remove all dangers possible.
Swimming isn’t allowed on Lake Cachuma, but that doesn’t mean owners and operators of the lake aren’t responsible when people fall in or are allowed access to dangerous waters.
When someone gets hurt or loses a life, these parties could be liable for the devastation left behind. They might be responsible for medical bills faced by injured victims and for helping families rebuild their lives after a loved one is lost to drowning.
These are just a few of the ignored safety hazards that could leave a business owner, a boat owner, or a government entity responsible for an accident.
- Warning signs about steep banks, changing depths, and underwater obstacles
- No swimming signs
- Gates and barriers to keep swimmers (especially young people) off dangerous shores
- Slip-and-fall hazards on fishing piers and along marinas
- Dangers around spillways, dams, and drains
- Reckless boaters, including drunk boaters
- Proper law enforcement on the lake to prevent accidents
- Damaging waves and wakes
- A lack of floatation devices provided for rental boats, sailboats, and paddleboard rentals
When businesses and property owners fail to provide the basic safety precautions and a drowning occurs, the loved ones left behind can seek justice. Families of victims are empowered to file wrongful death claims to seek support after a tragedy.
A Maison Law wrongful death lawyer can represent families during such a traumatic period and make sure at-fault parties are held accountable. Maison Law also makes sure families are supported through the financial turmoil a tragic death often creates.
Who Can Be Held Accountable for a Lake Drowning?
Your Maison Law attorney would fully investigate your accident and the businesses or government departments involved. Your attorney would also determine if more than one party should be contributing to your recovery support.
More than one wrongful death lawsuit could be filed giving families a better chance to recover all of the financial support they need to avoid financial turmoil in the months and years ahead.
These and other parties could be held liable for your family’s grief and loss:
- Negligent boater
- Property owner
- Business owners including rental companies and marina operators
- The Santa Barbara County Parks Department
- The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department
- State or Federal Water Management Agency
Lake Drownings on Government-Maintained Lakes
When a lake drowning can be traced back to a government agency’s negligence, the families left behind may need the help of a skilled wrongful death lawyer to hold the correct department responsible. The Santa Barbara County Parks Department is over Lake Cachuma and it’s safe upkeep.
Cases against any government agency can be very complex. Government officials have legal protections that regular business and property owners don’t have. Families may have to file extensive paperwork simply to seek permission to file a legal claim with a state agency after a drowning.
The deadlines for filing a claim after a drowning could also be much shorter when dealing with a city department. In cases against normal businesses or rental companies, the statute of limitations would extend for two years from an injury or death.
Yet, with cases involving government agencies, families would have to file their claims much sooner or risk having their cases rejected. The statute of limitations may only extend for a few months. Consult with a skilled California drowning accident attorney to cut through this red tape and avoid missing important time limits.
What Type of Support Is Available to Families After a Lake Drowning?
Nothing can restore the life of a loved one after a drowning, but those left behind will still want to seek justice and protect themselves financially in the years ahead. A spouse and children of the victim can quickly face financial turmoil as bills for a funeral and burial come due.
A wrongful death lawyer demands support for the family’s current hardships and the difficulties that will arise in the years ahead:
- Totals on leftover medical bills and ambulance fees.
- Support to pay for funeral services and a burial.
- Reimbursement for the wages the victim can no longer contribute to the family in the years ahead.
- 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 the parents of children lost to a drowning that could have been prevented. Parents would receive help paying for leftover rescue fees and medical bills. They must also receive support for the loss of love and companionship the child won’t be able to provide in the decades ahead.
- 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)
Those who survive injuries suffered at Lake Cachuma can seek full support on medical recovery costs. They would also seek help with replacing the paychecks they lose while injured. A reckless boat owner’s insurance provider could be sued to seek this compensation. A negligent government agency could also be sued on behalf of those injured.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Santa Barbara Drowning Accident Lawyer
After a Lake Cachuma injury or drowning accident, take action to seek justice from a negligent business owner and/or the Santa Barbara County government. Contact the skilled Lake Cachuma 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 devasted families don’t have to worry about having the money to hire quality legal representation. 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.
