A day on the lake should never lead to a day in court, but if you have been the victim of a serious injury caused by a boating accident, litigation attorneys may be your only way to find the financial help that you need.
Although boats on open water often travel at fairly high speeds, unfortunately some boat drivers do not take their driving seriously. According to U.S. Coast Guard data, 3,000 injuries and 651 deaths occurred in 4,515 boating accidents in the year 2012. This seems to be an alarming trend. Again in 2014, another 282 boating accidents that happened were also caused by excessive speed.
Although speed is often a factor, the most common cause of boating accidents in 2014 was operator inattention. It was the primary contributing factor in 563 accidents. Nearly as dangerous as inattention, operator inexperience was a contributing factor in 391 boating accidents in 2014. Whether the cause is inattention or inexperience, if boat drivers do not take the responsibility of being on the water seriously, they could be found liable in the event of an accident causing injury or death.
In addition to causing death and injury, irresponsible boating can also cause damage to property. In fact, the total property damage caused by recreational boating accidents in America in 2014 amounted to $38.87 million. Property that is damaged or ruined because of carelessness on the part of a boat driver is also susceptible to recovering through the court system.
Litigation attorneys are often able to help individuals recover financial losses in the event of a property damage incident. If the damage occurs on or near the water rather than on land, and involves a personal injury as well, a maritime injury lawyer may be the best resource. In any case, seeking the proper legal advice, rather it is personal injury lawyers or a probate litigation attorney, is always in your best interest.
