Houston Drowning Accident Lawyer

Houston Drowning Injury Attorney

Many people in Texas enjoy watersports, boating, and other recreational activities on the water. In addition, lots of people living along the Texas coast make their living on the water, working on offshore platforms and various vessels for all types of work. If you work or play on the water in Texas or off the Texas coast, it’s vital to consider the risks of drowning. Even confident swimmers can potentially suffer fatal drowning injuries in certain situations. It’s also possible for a person to drown but survive, but after recovery, they may struggle with adverse medical complications due to the harm drowning can cause to the brain and the rest of the body.

Legal Counsel for Houston, TX, Drowning Injury Claims

If you or a loved one recently suffered any type of drowning injury, or if you lost a loved one in a drowning incident caused by another party, a Houston drowning injury attorney is the best asset to have on your side as you work toward recovering your damages. Stevenson & Murray has a team of experienced Houston attorneys who can provide the meticulous and compassionate legal counsel you need to navigate the most challenging civil cases. We are ready to put our experience to work for you.

Why Should I Hire a Houston Drowning Injury Attorney?

Some drownings occur unexpectedly, with no one clearly at fault for the incident. In other cases, someone is responsible for causing a drowning injury or fatality to another party. You might struggle to determine whether you have grounds for legal action after a drowning incident, and even if you know who is responsible, you could have no idea how to approach the civil claim process. Even if you manage to succeed with a civil claim unassisted, you will face the risk of settling for less than you rightfully deserve due to a lack of awareness of the several types of compensation you could seek in your claim.

A Houston drowning injury attorney can provide clarity and reassurance when needed. Whether you are filing a personal injury claim or a wrongful death claim in response to a drowning incident in the Houston area, your attorney will be invaluable as you navigate your case proceedings and work toward recovery from your damages. Stevenson & Murray can work closely with you to determine fault for the drowning injury in question and assess your claimable damages. In addition, our team can provide reassurance and support as your case unfolds until you reach a satisfactory conclusion to your claim.

How Do Drowning Accidents Happen in Texas?

Drowning can occur in many situations. Therefore, depending on the type of drowning injury involved in your claim, your case can take several possible directions and unfold under different areas of the law:

• If you or a loved one suffered a drowning injury in a privately owned swimming pool, you could have grounds for a premises liability claim against the property owner if their failure to properly maintain a safe property led to the drowning incident.
• If you worked offshore and suffered a drowning injury, or if your loved one fatally drowned while working offshore, workers’ compensation or an offshore injury claim under the Jones Act may provide the compensation your family needs after a loved one dies in a work-related drowning incident.
• If you or a loved one suffered a drowning injury from a boating accident, the party responsible for causing the accident is likely liable for your damages.
• Children are some of the most vulnerable to drowning injuries, and these incidents may occur due to negligent supervision.

A Houston drowning injury attorney can assist you in determining how the recent drowning incident happened and your best legal options for resolving the situation. They can also assist you in calculating all of the damages you can include in your claim.

Potential Damages in a Drowning Injury Case

Drowning can cause tremendous medical harm to the victim if they survive. Oxygen deprivation can potentially result in brain damage, which can lead to permanent disabilities. Drowning may also damage the lungs and other internal organs. Additionally, a near-death drowning experience can be incredibly traumatic, resulting in significant psychological damage to the victim.

Texas state law allows the plaintiff in any personal injury claim to recover compensation for all damages caused by the defendant or defendants named in their claim. These damages may include:

• Lost income. A drowning injury victim could be unable to work for an extended time due to their injury, or they could be left unable to work at all due to permanent disability. Therefore, the defendant would be liable for lost income and lost earning potential resulting from their actions.
• Medical expenses. Drowning injuries can cause tremendous physical damage, and if the victim survives, they will likely need extensive emergency treatment. Therefore, the defendant who caused the drowning injury is liable for all medical expenses the victim incurs, both immediate and future.
• Property damage. If a drowning injury is related to an incident that also resulted in property damage to the plaintiff, the plaintiff can include these losses in their civil claim.
• Pain and suffering. Texas state law allows a personal injury plaintiff to seek compensation for physical pain and psychological suffering caused by a defendant. The amount they can seek typically hinges on the severity of their injuries and whether they are likely to develop permanent medical complications because of the defendant’s actions.

When a drowning injury is fatal, the victim’s family would be able to file a wrongful death claim in place of a personal injury claim the victim could have filed had they survived. These claims are similar to personal injury claims, but there are specific rules for wrongful death claims that all plaintiffs must understand.

Whatever your drowning claim may entail, you need legal counsel you can trust to successfully navigate this kind of case. The right attorney can potentially make a tremendous positive impact on the outcome of your claim, and it’s vital to secure legal counsel as soon as possible after a drowning incident. If you are ready to discuss your case with a Houston drowning injury attorney, contact Stevenson & Murray today to schedule a case review with our firm.