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Maria Ribeiro, the mother of a 4-year-old drowning victim, has filed a lawsuit against Cape Cod Campresort and Cabins in East Falmouth, Massachusetts. In the legal complaint, Ms. Ribeiro is pursuing $7.5 million in damages and alleges that the Campresort exercised negligence which ultimately caused the tragic death of her son.
Two years prior to the filing of the suit, four-year-old James Ribeiro-Almeida visited the campground's pool with his grandmother and eight-year-old sister. It was on that fateful day when, soon after arriving at the pool and jumping into the water, James was found at the bottom of the pool.
Bystanders were able to retrieve the unresponsive victim from the pool and began CPR until emergency services arrived. Once on the scene, responding firefighters administer life-saving measures and transferred James to Falmouth Hospital. He was later pronounced dead.
Included in the legal complaint are allegations that Resort Camp Lands International and Cape Cod Camping Club was grossly negligent for a number of reasons. These include:
Following the tragic drowning, the local Board of Health implemented numerous changes intended to avoid a similar incident. Such changes include new restrictions which indicate that any supervising adult must be responsible for no more than five children.
The weeks, months, and even years following the drowning of a loved one can be fraught with pain and confusion. No person ever expects to lose a family member in a drowning incident, so when such a tragedy occurs, survivors are often left stranded. In a majority of cases, the last thing on their mind is taking legal action.
Unfortunately, the emotional trauma of such personal loss is only exacerbated by the harsh realities that quickly arise: medical bills and funeral costs, added on to normal bills, can quickly accumulate while victims are still grieving. Survivors are likely to take time off work while they work through the circumstances and this can often mean that household income is significantly reduced.
All of these factors can add up to a perfect storm of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. With the attentive and caring help of an experienced pool drowning lawyer, victims can rest easy knowing that they are in good hands.
With the help of a legal team, and by filing a wrongful death claim after a loved one drowns, surviving family members can seek compensation for damages such as:
These are only some of the most common types of damages encountered in these cases. Our attorneys understand that each case is different, so we treat each of our clients with the utmost respect, dignity, and regard as we work to build the strongest case possible given their individual circumstances.
To learn more about your legal options after a drowning or near-drowning accident, contact our team today for a free consultation.