Boat Accident Litigation

Boating can be a thrilling and enjoyable recreational activity but it is also dangerous. If negligence causes an accident the victims and their families may be entitled to compensation for injuries and loss.

A NYC boat accident attorney can help injured victims get the amount they are due. A claim can include past medical expenses, along with other economic damages.

Damages

While 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 may be governed by a variety of federal and state laws which are weighed in determining if negligence occurred. If a boat driver is drunk, they may be sued for negligence. Federal laws also address pollution and deaths on the sea. Furthermore, there are specific maritime laws, like the Jones Act that give injured workers or their families a pathway to compensation similar to workers who receive compensation in other industries.

If a loved one has been killed in a boating accident, family members can bring a lawsuit on their behalf to recover damages that include loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. Families can also recover money for past medical bills as well as future costs for treatment.

A New York City boat accident lawyer can assist you to determine whether you or your loved one was injured in an accident on the boat. A personal injury lawyer can examine your insurance policy as well as the policies regarding liability for boats of the responsible party to determine what compensation you are eligible to receive as part of an agreement or jury verdict. In addition, an experienced lawyer can assess whether there are any additional parties who may be accountable for the accident such as the manufacturer of the defective boat or component.

Liability

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

Boating accidents often involve multiple people who could bear legal responsibility for the collision, including the boat's operator, vimeo any passengers aboard at the time of the accident as well as other watercraft and boats involved in the collision, the makers of the boats and their components or engines and even government agencies responsible for placing buoys to warn of dangerous conditions. A personal injury attorney is well-versed in federal and state maritime laws in order to determine who is accountable in an accident.

Under the Jones Act, a worker on a boat who suffers an injury on the sea has rights to compensation that are similar to those of workers' compensation beneficiaries. Similar to sailors who are injured in international waters or outer continental shelf water are able to claim compensation under the Jones Act as well as other federal maritime regulations. The families of injured maritime workers and the families of sailors who have died have claims under state worker' compensation laws.

Gathering Evidence

The evidence gathered in the beginning stages of the legal process can aid in determining the strength of your case. Photographing the scene of the accident will help determine the liability and help determine the circumstances of the boating accident. Eyewitnesses may also provide important information to support your claim.

Medical records are crucial for in determining the severity of your injuries, as well as the damages that resulted. These records should include detailed accounts of hospital and doctor visits, surgeries, rehabilitation treatments, and the expenses associated with these. You will also need to record any changes to your employment and income capacity and any other non-financial losses.

Injuries to the spinal cord and brain are common in boat collisions. These injuries can be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, oxygen deprivation or blunt force trauma when your head strikes the propeller of the boat. The majority of the time, Vimeo these injuries are life-changing.

Other kinds of marine injuries involve mechanical failures, such as electrical or engine malfunctions or steering issues, as well as gear shift issues. Our NYC boating accident lawyers will look into these cases to determine whether the manufacturer should be held responsible for the injuries suffered by accident victims.

How to File a Claim

You should seek medical attention immediately following an accident with a boat. However, you should consult with a lawyer before submitting an account to the insurance adjuster or another party. Your lawyer can protect your rights and ensure you get the compensation you need for your losses.

The legal process to seek compensation for a boating accident is to file an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the person or parties who are liable. It is common to present evidence to support a claim for both economic and noneconomic damage. Economic damages can include medical expenses and other expenses caused by the accident, such as the loss of income resulting from missing work. Noneconomic damages include pain, suffering, as well as other losses that are difficult to quantify.

In certain instances, a boat manufacturer or an element of the vessel can be held liable for a mishap if their product was manufactured or designed in a defective manner. A New York boating accident lawyer will investigate the possibility of product liability and seek compensation from the responsible parties.

In some cases, it is not just the boat's operator who may be held liable for the event of a crash. The owner of a vessel is liable also, particularly if they are responsible for hiring or training the person who operates their vessel or vimeo permit a person who is not fit to operate a boat on their property.