Los Angeles lifeguard negligence attorney
California beaches and pools draw millions of visitors each year, and lifeguards play a critical role in keeping them safe. When a lifeguard or a pool operator fails to act reasonably, someone can drown or be badly hurt.
Whether you have a case, and against whom, depends on where it happened.
Where it happened decides the case
- A hotel, water park or private pool
- A private operator owes guests reasonable care: real supervision where they promise it, working rescue equipment, and following the rules for their pool. These follow ordinary premises liability rules, with a two-year deadline.
- A public pool
- A pool that charges a direct fee has to have lifeguards. Other public pools need lifeguards or a clear sign saying there aren’t any. Claims against a city, county or school go through the government claims process first.
- A public beach
- California law protects cities and counties from most claims about ocean conditions, even where they post lifeguards. A claim usually needs more: a rescue handled with gross negligence, a hazard that wasn’t natural, or a structure or piece of equipment that failed. We’ll tell you honestly whether yours is one.
The cases we take
Hotel and resort pools
No lifeguard where one was promised, a lifeguard who wasn’t watching, or missing rescue equipment.
Water parks
Wave pools, slides and lazy rivers, where lifeguards are part of what you paid for.
Public and community pools
City, county, school and community pools, where staffing and signage rules apply.
Swim lessons, camps and clubs
A child or adult hurt when the people in charge of supervising weren’t doing it.
Beach rescues
A rescue that went wrong. The bar is high at public beaches, so these need a close look early.
What we do on a lifeguard case
File the government claim within six months when a public agency is involved, or apply to file late if that window has passed.
Get the staffing records, station assignments, incident reports and any video before they’re lost.
Find out who was responsible for supervision: the owner, an operator, a contractor or a public agency.
Bring in experts on lifeguarding and drowning who can explain what should have happened.