Our Gainesville, Georgia drowning accident lawyers are ready to stand by local families after a tragic drowning. Families who have precious loved ones taken from them should receive support from those found at fault. Property owners, businesses, and even government departments can be held financially liable for contributing to unsafe conditions that lead to drownings.
Don’t wait to seek help for your family in the aftermath of a tragedy. For a free wrongful death case consultation, contact Weaver Law Injury Attorneys today.
Should My Family Work With a Lawyer After a Drowning in Georgia?
If you lose a loved one to a drowning accident and you feel a property owner, a business, or a government agency was to blame, it’s a good idea to talk over your case with a skilled lawyer.
You and your family will be mourning this tragic death, but you may soon also feel the weight of financial uncertainty caused by the sudden loss of life. Your family could require help paying emergency response bills and funeral expenses. Those who relied on the victim’s weekly income, such as a spouse and children, might face bankruptcy now that a loved one can no longer support the family.
You and your family can seek financial support from those who are liable for the drowning through a wrongful death claim. Unfortunately, property and business owners, and government departments, will have lawyers fighting to help them escape blame.
A Gainesville GA Drowning Accident Lawyer on your side can investigate the accident and those at fault, and keep the blame where it belongs. A skilled lawyer is also often able to secure much more in support for you and your family than you could secure for yourselves.
Drowning Dangers in Northern Georgia
Northern Georgia is a fantastic place for vacations and recreation. However, the local natural and man-made water attractions must be carefully managed to make them as accident-free as possible. Rescue and safety plans must be in place in case there are accidents.
These are just a few of the spots around Gainesville where negligent owners and operators can cause drowning accidents:
- Lanier Park Beach
- Buford Dam Beach
- Frances Meadows Aquatics Drowning Accident Lawyer
- Homeowners With Pools
- Hotel and Resort Swimming Pools
- Lake Campgrounds
- Airbnb Swimming Pools
- Apartment and Condo Community Swimming Pools
- Lanier Islands
- Area Waterparks Like Margaritaville at Lanier Islands
- River Swimming and Paddling Spots like the Chattahoochee River
Homeowners who don’t keep their pools reasonably safe and act to keep children from gaining access without permission or supervision can be held liable for drowning accidents. Hall County requires safety inspections of pools. All residential pool owners must put up fences around pools.
Support for Families After a Drowning on Lake Lanier
Who Is Responsible If My Family Member Drowns in Georgia?
All Georgia business owners and property owners, and city, county, state, and federal governments have a duty to protect the customers, visitors, tenants, and clients they invite onto their land. Landlords who provide pools to residents must make sure those facilities are as safe as possible.
The operators of parks and lakefront campgrounds must make sure conditions are safe for swimming in natural bodies of water. All owners must ensure that safety equipment and rescue resources are available.
When owners and operators don’t pay attention to this important duty, and someone gets hurt or dies in a body of water, they can be held responsible for the consequences. This means helping victims with their recovery costs and assisting families in rebuilding after losing a family member.
Weaver Law Injury Attorneys helps victimized families identify every party that might be held accountable in a drowning. In some cases, more than one business or government entity could be financially liable. In these instances, your lawyer would be seeking support for your family from multiple sources.
These are just a few of the government departments and businesses that might be held responsible:
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Responsible for many campgrounds, beaches, and parks along Lake Lanier.
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources
- The City of Gainesville
- Hall County
- Georgia
- Property owners
- Business owners
- Landlords and Property Management Companies
- Hotel and Resort Owners and Corporate Owners
- Waterpark Owners
Signs of Negligence Along Lake Lanier and at Local Pools
These are just a few of the ways a business owner, Gainesville Parks & Rec, and other government departments can put people at risk of drowning:
- Reckless boaters allowed around swimming areas, and a lack of enforcement of the law. Drunk boaters allowed to cause collisions and drownings.
- Inadequate fences and barriers to keep swimmers away from dangerous spots on rivers and lakes, and children out of pools after hours.
- Failure to place warning signs about lake dangers and “no swimming” signs in appropriate places.
- Trip-and-Fall hazards along boardwalks, marinas, and poolside areas that can send unconscious people into the water.
- Fishing piers without proper railings and warning signs to prevent people from falling into the water.
- Accident risks around hazardous dams and spillways.
- Dangerous malfunctions with pool equipment like pumps and drains.
- No warnings about dangerous waves and rough waters
- A lack of safe practices by float companies and boat and paddleboard rental businesses.
- Tour boat businesses that put customers at risk of drowning.
Support Available for Families After a Georgia Drowning
Your attorney would demand full support for every hardship a family faces immediately after a tragedy, and those hardships that come in the years ahead.
These are just a few of the damages that families should receive financial help with:
- Rescue and ambulance fees
- Medical costs if a victim doesn’t pass away immediately
- Funeral and burial costs
- The loss of emotional support and guidance in the years ahead
- The loss of companionship in the future in the case of a child’s drowning
- The loss of sharing special life milestones with the deceased, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, and births
- The loss of income that the deceased can no longer provide to support close family members
What to Look Out For When Filing Wrongful Death Claims Against The City of Gainesville GA
When heartbreaking drownings occur at a lake or a public pool, families may be forced to file lawsuits against city departments or even the federal government. These cases can be much more complex and have much tighter deadlines for filing claims.
Government entities like the City of Gainesville have special legal protections when it comes to filing injury claims and lawsuits. In most cases, governments would require you to notify the city or state agency within just a few months.
The statute of limitations on wrongful death cases filed against the government can be much shorter than in a normal wrongful death case. If you failed to notify the agency on time, you may forfeit your right to seek support.
Governments can also require you to file complicated papers explaining the accident and why you feel your family should be provided financial support. In some cases, you must ask the government’s permission to file a claim. These are all reasons to turn your case over to a skilled Gainesville GA Drowning Accident Lawyer. A lawyer makes sure you meet all deadlines and puts pressure on government agencies to accept full responsibility for a tragedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do You Have to File a Drowning Lawsuit in Georgia?
Your family typically has two years from the date of a drowning or death to file your lawsuit in a wrongful death claim. Georgia’s laws lay out this time limit, known as the statute of limitations. You should act quickly so that valuable evidence doesn’t disappear. Also, remember that if your case involves a government agency, the deadline may be much shorter (see above).
What if I don’t have the extra money to pay a drowning accident lawyer?
You don’t need any money to hire Weaver Law Injury Attorneys to represent your case. We don’t charge our clients any upfront money. First of all, we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you and your family. If we lose, you don’t owe anything. If the case is successful, you still won’t have to struggle to pay our attorney’s fee. Our payment comes out of the settlement money you receive.
Will My Family Have to Go To Court to Seek Justice After a Drowning?
Families usually do not have to enter a courtroom to seek support after a drowning. Businesses and government agencies would much rather settle with the family than risk going before a judge and jury. They also want to avoid the cost and bad publicity of a public trial. Your lawyer would seek a fair settlement for everything your family has endured and will endure. Your lawyer would only file a lawsuit and take those at fault to court if they refused to accept responsibility for a drowning.
Talk to a Gainesville Drowning Accident Lawyer Now
If you’ve lost a loved one to a drowning accident in Gainesville, Georgia, or anywhere in Northern Georgia, contact Weaver Law Injury Attorneys today. We’ve been serving victims and their families for more than 20 years and continue to help victims earn more to rebuild their lives.
We offer a free consultation to all family members. Contact us to schedule a confidential meeting. We want to answer your questions and go over the best options for the family. There’s no obligation for this free case review. We can handle the frustrating legal process to allow your family as much time to grieve in peace as possible.
