If you or a loved one is injured aboard a boat or aboard a recreational vessel such as a personal watercraft, you have legal rights. Those responsible for causing your boating accident can be held liable and made to compensate you for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering or the wrongful death of a family member.
To obtain full and fair compensation after a boating accident, you need to pursue a personal injury or wrongful death claim. A boating accident attorney at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene can help you take legal action to pursue the money you deserve. Call today to schedule a free evaluation of your case and to find answers to key questions including:
- What are my legal rights after a boating accident?
- What should I do if I have been involved in a boating accident?
- How can a boating accident attorney help me?
What Are My Legal Rights after a Boating Accident?
After a boating accident, you can recover monetary compensation for your losses if someone else was responsible for the accident.
You can take legal action against the driver of another vessel that caused your injury, or against the driver of the boat that you were on. If you were injured while aboard a friend’s boat, you should not hesitate to make a damage claim since it is the insurance company, and not your friend personally, who will be responsible for compensating you for the losses and damages you have experienced.
You can also pursue a claim against a boat manufacturer or a boat mechanic if the parts or maintenance were defective in a way that led to your accident.
Knowing how to pursue a claim after a boating accident can be difficult, so it is important to speak with a boating accident attorney for help. Your attorney can help you obtain evidence, gather the necessary proof of liability you need to make your claim, and work within the legal system to get the money the law says you deserve.
What Should I Do after I Have Been Involved in a Boating Accident?
After a boating accident, it is important to determine who was to blame for the incident that led to your injuries. There are many different causes of boating accidents including:
- Careless operation
- Boating while intoxicated
- Boat maintenance problems
- Failure to obey the rules set by federal and state law for safe boating
- Failure to have sufficient safety equipment aboard the boat
A boating accident attorney will assist you in investigating the accident and determining how the injuries occurred. Your attorney can then help you to either pursue your claim in court or negotiate a settlement with the responsible party (or the insurer).
How Can a Boating Accident Attorney Help Me?
After a boating accident, you have the burden of proving that the defendant was negligent or failed to live up to some obligation to you. You must prove that this negligence or breach of duty was the direct cause of the accident and you need to show how badly you were hurt.
A boating accident lawyer can interview witnesses, help you find experts, review information from Coast Guard or law enforcement accident reports, and otherwise work to help you build a strong case. Your attorney will also help you deal with the insurer or make a compelling case to a jury.
To learn more about how a boating accident lawyer can help you recover full and fair compensation for your injuries or the death of a loved one aboard a boat, contact Steinger, Iscoe & Greene today to schedule your free consultation.
