Boat Accident Litigation

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

A NYC boat accident attorney can help injured victims get the amount they deserved. A claim is the need for past medical expenses and other economic damages.

Damages

Although many people imagine bodies of water similar to the Wild West, there are laws that govern boats on rivers, lakes, and oceans in the United States. Boat accidents can involve multiple federal and state laws that are weighed in determining if negligence took place. If a boat accident law firm driver is drunk, they could be sued for negligence. Federal laws also address pollution and deaths at sea. Furthermore, there are specific maritime regulations, such as the Jones Act that give injured workers or their families access to compensation that is similar to workers compensated in other industries.

If a loved-one was killed in a boating accident, boat accident attorney the family can sue them on behalf of damages such as lost companionship, funeral expenses as well as pain and loss. Families can collect money to pay for medical expenses from the past and any future treatment.

A New York City boat accident lawyer can assist you to determine if you or your loved one was injured in an accident on the water. A personal injury lawyer can look over your insurance policy and the responsible party's policies on boat liability to determine what type of compensation you are entitled to receive in a settlement or verdict. A knowledgeable lawyer can assess whether there are any other parties who may be accountable for the accident such as the manufacturer of a defective boat or boat component.

Liability

Typically, injured boaters seek damages to cover medical expenses (past and expected), lost income because of time lost from work or pain and suffering emotional trauma, and damage to their boats. The most serious injuries are neck and back injuries and brain traumas, as well as broken bones, and internal organ damage.

Boating accidents typically involve multiple people who could bear legal responsibility for a collision, including the boat's operator, passengers on board at the time of the crash, other boats and watercraft involved in the collision, the manufacturers of the boats as well as their components or engines as well as authorities responsible for putting buoys to warn of dangerous conditions. An attorney who handles personal injury cases will be familiar with both state and federal maritime laws to determine who is at fault for an accident.

Under the Jones Act, a worker on a vessel who suffers an injury at sea has rights to compensation similar to those of workers' compensation beneficiaries. In the same way, sailors injured on international waters or in the outer continental shelf waters have the right to make a claim under the Jones Act and other federal maritime regulations. State workers' compensation laws also apply to maritime workers who are injured as well as the families of sailors who died.

Gathering Evidence

The evidence you gather in the beginning stages of the legal process can help you determine the strength of your case. For instance, taking pictures of the scene of the accident can be useful in determining the extent of responsibility as well as establishing how the boating collision happened. Eyewitnesses can also give valuable evidence to back your claim.

Medical records are critical for understanding the severity of your injuries and the injuries that result from them. The records should contain thorough reports of doctor and hospital visits, surgeries, rehabilitation treatments, as well as the costs associated with these. You should document the changes in your income and employment capacity, boat accident attorney as as any other non-financial loss.

Brain and spinal cord injuries are common in boating accidents. These injuries can result from carbon monoxide poisoning, oxygen deprivation or blunt force trauma when the head is struck by the propeller of the boat. These injuries can have a life-altering impact.

Other types of maritime injuries result from mechanical issues for example, electrical or engine failure or steering system malfunctions and gear shift issues. In these instances our NYC lawyer for boating accidents will determine if the manufacturer should be held accountable for injuries sustained by victims of accidents.

How to File a Claim

While it is essential to seek medical attention immediately for injuries following a boating accident, you should not offer a statement to an insurance adjuster or another party without consulting with a lawyer. A lawyer can help protect your rights and ensure that you get the money you need for your losses.

The legal process to seek compensation in the event of a boating accident involves filing an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the person or parties who are accountable. It is common to present evidence in support of an insurance claim for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are medical expenses and other expenses incurred as a result of the accident, such as lost earnings due to missed work. Noneconomic damages are those that result from pain and suffering as well as other intangible losses that are difficult to quantify.

In some cases, the manufacturer of a boat accident attorneys or one of its parts can be held liable for an accident when their product was not properly created or manufactured. A New York boating accident lawyer will investigate the possibility of product liability and seek compensation from the parties responsible.

In certain instances the boat's owner might not be held accountable for an accident. Owners of vessels can also be held responsible, especially when the owner is responsible for hiring and training the person who operates their vessel or when a person who is not fit to operate a vessel is allowed on their property.