Boat Accident Litigation

Boating can be an exciting and enjoyable activity for the whole family, however, it can be a danger. If negligence causes an accident the victim and their families could be entitled to compensation for losses and injuries.

A NYC boat accident lawyer can help injured victims claim the amount of damages they are entitled to. A claim can be a demand for past medical expenses as well as other financial damages.

Damages

Although many people associate bodies of water with the Wild West in the United States There are laws governing the boats on rivers and lakes as well as oceans. Boat accidents can trigger multiple federal and Vimeo.com state laws that are taken into consideration to determine if negligence was the cause. If a boat driver is drunk, they may be sued for negligence. There are also federal laws that address the issue of pollution and deaths at sea. There are maritime regulations, such as the Jones Act, that provide injured workers and their families with a similar compensation to other industries.

If a loved one died in a fatal boat crash family members can sue to recover damages, including lost companionship and funeral expenses. They can also sue for suffering and pain. Families can even recover money for past medical bills and future treatment costs.

If a boat accident resulted in injuries to you or your loved ones and loved ones, a New York City boat accident lawyer can help you determine what damages you could be entitled to claim. An attorney for personal injury can examine your insurance policy and the policies on boat liability of the responsible party to determine what amount of compensation you could be entitled to receive as part of an agreement or jury verdict. In addition, an experienced lawyer can assess whether there are any other parties who could be responsible for the incident, such as the manufacturer of a defective boat or boat part.

Liability

Generally, injured boaters seek damages to cover medical expenses (past and anticipated) and lost income due to absences from work, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and damages to their boats. Injuries that are serious typically involve back and neck injury as well as brain trauma, broken bones, paralysis and organ damage.

Boating accidents usually involve multiple parties who could have legal responsibility for a collision, including the boat's operator, other passengers aboard at the time of the accident, other boats and watercraft involved in the collision, the makers of the boats as well as their components or engines as well as the government agencies that are responsible for putting up buoys to warn of dangerous conditions. An attorney who handles personal injury cases is familiar with both state and federal maritime laws to determine who is at fault in an accident.

Under the Jones Act, a worker on a boat who suffers an injury at sea has rights to compensation that are similar to those of workers' compensation recipients. Also, sailors who are injured in international waters or in outer continental shelf waters are entitled to make a claim under the Jones Act and other federal maritime regulations. Injured maritime workers and families of sailors who have died are entitled to compensation under state workers insurance laws.

Gathering Evidence

Evidence collected during the early stages of the legal process can aid in determining the strength and effectiveness of your case. For instance, taking photos of the scene of the accident can help determine the the extent of liability and the circumstances of the boating accident. Eyewitnesses also can provide valuable evidence to support your claim.

Medical records are essential for finding out the extent of your injuries and related damages. These records should include detailed reports of hospital and doctor visits and surgeries, rehabilitation treatments and the costs associated with them. You should also keep track of any changes in your income and employment along with other losses that are not financial in nature.

The spinal and brain injuries are a common occurrence in boat accidents. The injuries in this category can result from oxygen deficiency carbon monoxide poisoning, blunt force trauma that results from hitting the head against areas like the propeller, or on the side of the boat. These injuries can have a life-altering impact.

Other types of marine accidents involve mechanical failures, such as electrical or engine failure in steering, abrasions, and problems with gear shifts. Our NYC boating accident lawyers will analyze these cases to determine if the manufacturer should be held accountable for the injuries sustained by accident victims.

The process of filing a claim

While it is important to seek medical attention immediately for injuries after a boating accident, you should not offer a statement to an insurance adjuster or another party without first consulting with a lawyer. Your attorney can protect your rights, including ensuring that you are compensated in a fair manner for damages.

The legal process for seeking compensation for a boating accident is to file an insurance claim or lawsuit against the party or parties that are liable. This typically involves presenting evidence to support a claim for economic as well as non-economic damages. Economic damages can include medical expenses and other expenses that are incurred due to the accident, as well as loss of income due to missing work. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering as well as other intangible losses which are harder to quantify.

In some cases the center line boat accident lawyer manufacturer or parts of the boat may be held responsible for an accident if their product was created or manufactured in a manner that was not safe. A skilled New York boating injury lawyer can determine whether a product responsibility is involved and seek compensation from the parties responsible.

In some cases it's not just the boat's operator that could be held accountable for a crash. The owner of the vessel could be held accountable too, particularly in the event that they are responsible for hiring or training the person who operates their boat or allow someone who is unfit to operate a boat on their property.