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Drowning Accident Lawyer

Water needs to cover your mouth and nose for only a few minutes for a drowning accident to occur. But even mere moments without oxygen can cause injuries to your brain and other organs. While drownings present a significant risk to children, adults are not immune from the dangers of drowning.

Drownings do not just happen. Instead, they are often the result of poor, reckless decisions that place you and your loved ones in needless jeopardy. When this happens and you or your loved one suffers harm, contact our drowning accident lawyer for help. You may have legal rights, including the right to receive compensation, that your personal injury attorney can help you assert.

Common Causes of Drowning Accidents

A drowning or non-fatal drowning can happen in an instant. For this reason, adults must take care around the water, especially when other adults or children are close by. Some of the ways that drowning accidents occur:

Lack of Supervision of Children

Parents should carefully supervise their children around water. Insisting that children who cannot swim use floatation devices and that they not go in or near water without an adult being present can help reduce drowning accidents. In addition, parents should consider enrolling their children in swim courses so they become more comfortable and confident in the water.

No matter their comfort level in water, though, children should not roughhouse in a swimming pool, lake, or other body of water. Horseplay, such as holding other kids’ heads underwater, can lead to unintentional drownings and near-drownings.

Intoxication Drowning Accidents

Alcohol, drugs, and water do not mix, so you should avoid consuming these substances if you will be on or near the water. These substances prevent you from reacting quickly and smartly in the event of an emergency. They also make you more inclined to take risks, both with your own safety and with the safety of others.

Not only this, but both federal law and states’ laws consider boating under the influence to be a crime. Contact to a boating accident lawyer and understand about your drowning accident case.

Absence of Safety Equipment and Warning Signs

Boats and pools should have ample safety equipment and life jackets available for guests to use in the event of an emergency. The list of safety equipment should include, at the very least, emergency floatation devices that you can use when someone is drowning. You should be able to easily locate and access this equipment.

In addition, pools, beaches, and lakes that are open for guests’ use should display appropriate warning signs. These signs can inform users about the following:

  • Whether there is a lifeguard on duty and if so, during what hours
  • Any dangerous conditions present in the water
  • The location of safety equipment
  • Any public or other resources available in the event of an emergency and how to access them

Last, owners of private swimming pools should appropriately fence or secure their swimming pools so that children and other people cannot easily access them without the owner’s authorization.

In situations where swimming pool owners, municipalities, property owners, or others fail to honor these obligations, deaths and injuries from drowning can happen. You and others might hold these negligent parties accountable for their actions through a lawsuit with the help of an experienced drowning accident lawyer.

Injuries from Drowning Accidents

One of the chief dangers of a drowning incident is the interruption of the flow of oxygen to the body and its organs, especially the brain. In adults, a lack of oxygen can lead to unconsciousness in just one or two minutes. Five minutes or less of oxygen deprivation is sufficient to cause death. In children, these time periods are even shorter.

Providing oxygen to a drowning victim quickly is a matter of life and death, but injuries can still result from brief moments of oxygen deprivation. These injuries may include:

  • Memory loss and confusion
  • Behavioral issues and changes
  • Trouble with coordination or inability to complete simple physical tasks
  • Cognitive impairment

These can cause you and your family to incur medical expenses and other drowning incident costs. If this happens, you need a drowning accident lawyer on your side to help you fight for compensation.

The Joel Bieber Firm has helped numerous personal injury victims, including drowning victims and their families, receive compensation. These benefits have enabled clients to move forward with confidence that they can provide for their loved one’s financial and medical needs.

Receiving adequate compensation for your injuries and harm is an essential step in recovering from a drowning or near-drowning accident. See the difference a drowning accident lawyer can make in your case’s outcome by calling The Joel Bieber Firm today.

You Have Limited Time to File a Drowning Accident Lawsuit

Each state has a statute of limitations that says how long you have to speak with a drowning accident lawyer and file a wrongful death lawsuit. Some statutes of limitations are as long as four years while others can be as short as two years. No matter how long your state’s statute of limitations is, though, it is important you speak with a drowning accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Aside from ensuring you protect your right to receive compensation, getting in touch with an experienced drowning accident lawyer has additional benefits. Your drowning accident attorney can locate and assess witnesses, documents, and other information that can help prove your drowning accident case more easily if action is taken soon after your accident.

The Joel Bieber Firm: A Smart Choice for Injury Victims

With years of experience representing drowning accident victims, The Joel Bieber Firm can guide you and your loved ones through the process of filing a drowning accident lawsuit. We will take the necessary legal steps to investigate, prepare, and prosecute your claim for damages.

If another person’s careless acts led to a drowning accident, do not wait. Call The Joel Bieber Firm and speak with us right away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Immediately after a drowning accident, call emergency services and begin CPR if you are trained and it is necessary. Remove the person from the water and ensure they are breathing. Seek medical attention even if the person appears to have recovered, as secondary drowning can occur hours later. Document the scene and gather witness contact information if possible.
Signs and symptoms of drowning include difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, confusion, and unconsciousness. Other signs can include pale or bluish skin, foaming at the mouth, and lack of response to stimuli. These symptoms require immediate medical attention.
Secondary drowning occurs when water enters the lungs during a near-drowning incident, causing inflammation and fluid build-up over time. Symptoms can develop hours after the initial event and include coughing, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and extreme fatigue. Immediate medical evaluation is crucial if these symptoms appear.
Liability for a drowning accident can fall on various parties depending on the circumstances. These may include property owners, pool operators, lifeguards, or product manufacturers (in cases involving defective pool equipment). Proving liability often involves demonstrating negligence or failure to adhere to safety regulations.
Compensation for a drowning accident can include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, in tragic cases, funeral expenses. Non-economic damages for emotional distress and loss of companionship may also be sought by the victim's family.
To prove negligence, you must show that the responsible party owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and that the breach directly caused the drowning accident. Evidence such as safety violations, witness testimonies, and expert opinions can support your claim.
Safety measures to prevent drowning include constant supervision, proper fencing around pools, use of life jackets, swimming lessons, and adherence to pool safety regulations. Public pools should have trained lifeguards on duty, and proper signage should be displayed.
Yes, you can file a claim if your child drowned in a public pool. Liability may fall on the pool operators, lifeguards, or the municipality responsible for maintaining the pool. An attorney can help determine who is at fault and pursue compensation on your behalf.
After a drowning accident, document the scene with photographs, gather witness statements, and keep a detailed record of medical treatments and expenses. Any communications with property owners or pool operators should also be documented.
While it is not mandatory to hire a lawyer, having an experienced attorney can significantly improve your chances of obtaining fair compensation. A lawyer can help gather evidence, navigate legal complexities, negotiate with insurance companies, and represent you in court if necessary. Contact The Joel Bieber Firm for a free consultation to discuss your case and explore your legal options.