boat accident lawyer Accident Litigation

Boating is a fun and exciting activity to enjoy, but it can be dangerous. If negligence causes an accident the victims and their families could be entitled to compensation for injuries and loss.

A NYC lawyer for boat accident lawyers accidents can help injured victims get the amount they deserved. A claim may include past medical expenses, as well as other economic damages.

Damages

While many people associate bodies of water with the Wild West in the United States, there are laws that govern the boats on rivers and lakes as well as oceans. Boat accidents may be governed by a variety of federal and state laws which are weighed in determining if negligence occurred. For instance, if the boat operator was drunk, this could lead to civil lawsuits based on negligence. Federal laws also address pollution and deaths on the sea. There are also maritime regulations, such as the Jones Act, that provide injured workers and their families with similar compensation options to other industries.

If a loved one was killed in a boating accident, the family members may sue them on behalf of damages that include funeral expenses, lost companionship and pain and suffering. Families can get money to cover medical bills from the past and future medical treatment.

A New York City boat accident lawyer can help you determine whether you or your loved ones were injured in an accident on the boat. An attorney for personal injuries can examine your insurance coverage and the responsible party's boat liability policies to determine what compensation you may be entitled to receive in a settlement or verdict. Additionally, a knowledgeable lawyer can determine if there are any other parties that may be liable for the accident, such as the manufacturer of a defective boat or boat component.

Liability

Typically, injured boaters seek damages to cover medical expenses (past and anticipated) and lost earnings due to absences from work as well as pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and damage to their boats. Injuries that are serious include neck and back injuries brain traumas, broken bones and internal organ damage.

Boating accidents typically involve multiple parties that could be liable for legal responsibility for the accident, including the vessel's operator, other passengers aboard at the time of the accident or other watercraft and boats involved in the collision, the manufacturers of the boats as well as their components or engines as well as government agencies responsible for putting buoys to warn of hazardous conditions. A personal injury lawyer is well-versed in federal and state maritime laws in order to determine who is liable for an accident.

Under the Jones Act, a worker on a vessel who suffers an injury on the sea has rights to a compensation equal to that of workers' compensation recipients. Similar to that, sailors injured in international waters, or outer continental shelf waters are able to claim compensation under the Jones Act as well as other maritime regulations of the federal government. The state workers' compensation laws also apply to maritime workers injured and the families of deceased sailors.

Gathering Evidence

The evidence you gather in the beginning stages of the legal process could help determine the strength of your case. Photographing the scene of the accident can help determine liability and reveal the circumstances of the boating accident. Eyewitnesses can also give valuable information that will aid in proving your claim.

Medical records are essential to understanding the severity of your injuries, and the damages that resulted. These records should include detailed details of hospital and boat accident doctor visitations and surgeries, rehabilitation treatments, and costs associated with them. You will need to document any changes to your income and job capacity, as well with any other non-financial losses.

Boat accidents are usually related to brain and spinal cord injuries. Injuries in this category may result from oxygen deficiency carbon monoxide poisoning or blunt force trauma from hitting the head on areas like the propeller or side of the boat. Most often, these injuries are life-changing.

Other types of marine injuries involve mechanical failure for example, electrical or engine failure or steering system malfunctions and gear shift issues. In these cases, our NYC lawyer for boating accidents will investigate to determine if a manufacturer can be held accountable for injuries sustained by accident victims.

How to File a Claim

You should seek medical attention immediately following an incident on the boat. However, you should consult with a lawyer before submitting a statement to the insurance adjuster or any other party. Your attorney can protect your rights, and boat accident ensure that you get the right amount of compensation for the damage.

The legal process for seeking compensation in the event of a boating accident is to file an insurance claim or lawsuit against the party or parties that are accountable. This typically involves providing evidence to back a claim for economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages refer to the cost of medical treatment and other costs associated with the accident, for example lost earnings due to missed work. Non-economic damages include pain, suffering, and other types of intangible losses that are difficult to quantify.

In some cases, the manufacturer of a vessel or one of its parts could be held accountable for an accident when their product was not properly designed or manufactured. A skilled New York boating injury lawyer can investigate whether product liability is at stake and seek compensation from the responsible parties.

In some instances, the boat operator may not be held liable for the outcome of a collision. The owner of a vessel may be held responsible as well, especially when they are accountable for hiring or training the person operating their vessel or allow a person who isn't fit to operate the vessel on their premises.