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Boat Accident Litigation

Boating is a fun and thrilling activity for the whole family, but it can be risky. If negligence leads to an accident the victims and their families may be entitled to compensation for injuries and loss.

lowell boat accident law firm can assist injured victims in obtaining the maximum amount of compensation they are entitled to. A claim is the demand for past medical expenses and other economic damages.

Damages

Although many people think of bodies of water with the Wild West in the United States There are laws that govern the vessels on lakes and rivers as well as oceans. Boat accidents can involve many laws, both state and federal, that are considered when determining the degree of negligence. If a boater is drunk, they may be sued for negligence. There are also federal laws that address 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 pathways to other industries.

If a loved one died in a boating accident that killed them, the family can sue for damages, including loss of companionship and funeral costs. They may also sue for suffering and pain. Families can get money to pay for medical expenses from the past and any future treatment.

A New York City boat accident lawyer can help you determine whether you or a loved ones were injured in a boat accident. An attorney for personal injuries can review your insurance coverage as well as the responsible party’s policies on boat liability to determine what damages you could be entitled to in a settlement or a verdict. A lawyer with experience can also assess if there are other parties who may be accountable, such as the manufacturer or the part of the boat that was faulty.

Liability

Typically, injured boaters seek damages to recover medical expenses (past and anticipated) and lost earnings because of time lost from work, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and damage to their boats. The most serious injuries are back and neck injury, brain trauma, broken bones, paralysis, and internal organ damage.

Boating accidents often involve multiple people who could bear legal liability for a accident, including the vessel’s operator, other passengers who were onboard at the time of the accident as well as other watercraft and boats involved in the collision, as well as the manufacturers of the boats and their parts or engines as well as government agencies responsible for putting buoys to warn of hazardous conditions. A personal injury attorney will be knowledgeable of federal and state maritime laws in order to determine who is accountable in an accident.

Under the Jones Act a worker on a vessel injured at sea has similar rights as workers compensation beneficiaries. Similar, sailors injured in international waters, or the outer continental shelf waters can make claims under the Jones Act as well as other maritime regulations of the federal government. Families and maritime workers who have been injured as well as the families of sailors who have died have claims under state worker insurance laws.

Gathering Evidence

The evidence you gather in the beginning stages of the legal process can help determine the strength of your case. For example, taking photographs of the scene of the accident can be useful in determining the extent of responsibility as well as establishing the circumstances of the boating accident. It is also important to obtain information from eyewitnesses since they can provide evidence that supports your claims.

Medical records are crucial for understanding the severity of your injuries and related damages. These records should include detailed accounts of hospital and doctor visits, surgeries, rehabilitation treatments, and the costs associated with these. You should also keep track of any changes in your income or employment and any other non-financial losses.

Brain and spinal cord injuries are common in boat collisions. These injuries can be caused by oxygen deprivation carbon monoxide poisoning, blunt force trauma from hitting the head against areas like the propeller or side of the boat. Often, these injuries are life-changing.

Other forms of marine injury result from mechanical issues like engine or electrical failure in the steering system, as well as gear shift problems. Our NYC lawyer for boating accidents will investigate these cases to determine whether the manufacturer can be held responsible for the injuries suffered by accident victims.

Making a Claim

You should seek medical attention immediately after an accident with a boat. However, you should consult a lawyer before giving a statement to the insurance adjuster or another party. A lawyer can help protect your rights and ensure that you get the money you are entitled to for the damages you have suffered.

The legal procedure to seek compensation following a boat accident is to file an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the party or parties that are liable. It is typical to present evidence to support a claim for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages refer to the cost of medical treatment as well as other expenses associated with the accident, like lost earnings due to missed work. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, as well as other losses which are harder to quantify.

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

In some instances it’s not just the boat’s operator that could be held accountable for the event of a crash. Owners of vessels can be held accountable, in particular when the owner is responsible for the hiring and training of the person who operates their vessel, or if a person unfit to operate a vessel is allowed to use their property.