Any injury on or with a boat, ferry, ship or personal watercraft like a jet ski is regarded as a boating accident. There are over 4,000 people injured and 750 killed as the result of boating accidents each year. Of those killed, roughly 80% were not wearing their personal flotation devices at the time of the accident and 70% drowned.
A boating accident attorney should have extensive experience with maritime laws and boat accident lawsuits.
Open motorboat and personal watercraft injury cases are among the most frequent and rapidly rising in number. This is due in large part to increasing traffic in our waterways combined with an increasing popularity of leisure boating.
If a boating accident results in the disappearance or death of an individual or in an injury requiring more than basic first aid, it must be reported to state authorities or the Coast Guard within 48 hours under federal law. The reports are then entered into the Boating Accident Report Database system. If the accident results in property damage over $500, the incident must be reported within ten days of its occurrence.
Among other causes, a boating accident injury can result from collisions with other vehicles or fixed objects, grounding, capsizing, falls overboard, fire, explosion, engine or equipment malfunctions, sinking, skier mishaps and carbon monoxide asphyxiation.
Most boating accident injury cases are due to boat operator negligence. The operator of a boat or vessel is responsible for exercising reasonable care in preventing injury to others, much as is the case with auto or bus drivers. Unfortunately, over 40% of boating accident injury cases involved a boat operator under the influence of alcohol. And among negligent boat operators, over 80% never took a boating safety course.
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