Boat Accident Litigation

Boating can be an exciting and fun recreational activity, but it's also a risky one. If a negligent decision leads to an accident, the victim and their families could be entitled to monetary compensation for losses and injuries.

A NYC boat accident lawyer will assist victims of injuries to claim the maximum amount of compensation they deserve. A claim can include past medical expenses and other economic damages.

Damages

While many people imagine waters like the Wild West, there are laws that govern vessels on lakes, rivers and oceans in the United States. Boat accidents can be governed by multiple federal and state laws that are taken into consideration in determining whether negligence occurred. For instance, if a boat operator was drunk, this could be a cause for civil litigation for negligence. Federal laws also deal with pollution and deaths at the sea. There are maritime regulations, such as the Jones Act, that provide injured workers and their families with similar compensation to other industries.

If a loved one died in a fatal boat accident, the family can sue to recover damages, including loss of companionship and funeral expenses. They may also sue for suffering and pain. Families can recover money to cover medical bills from the past and future treatment.

If a boating accident has caused injuries to you or your loved ones If you or your loved ones were injured, a New York City boat accident lawyer can assist you in determining the type of damages you might be entitled to claim. A personal injury lawyer will review your insurance coverage as well as the responsible party's policies on boat liability to determine what type of compensation you may be entitled to receive in a settlement or verdict. A knowledgeable lawyer can assess whether there are any other parties that may be liable for the incident, such as the manufacturer of the boat or part.

Liability

In general, injured boaters seek damages to recover medical expenses (past and future) as well as lost earnings due to working absences emotional trauma and suffering and pain. Most serious injuries involve back and neck injury as well as brain trauma, broken bones, paralysis and internal organ damage.

Boating accidents often involve multiple people who could bear legal liability for a crash, including the boat's operator, any passengers who were onboard at the time of the accident as well as other watercraft and boats involved in the collision, the manufacturers of the boats as well as their parts or engines as well as the government agencies that are responsible for putting up buoys that warn of the dangers of conditions. A personal injury lawyer will know the ins and outs of both state law and federal maritime laws to determine who could be held accountable in the event of a collision.

Under the Jones Act, a worker on a vessel who suffers an injury at sea has rights to compensation that are similar to those of workers' compensation recipients. Similarly, sailors who are injured in international waters or in the outer continental shelf waters have the right to file a claim under the Jones Act and other federal maritime regulations. The state workers' compensation laws also apply to injured maritime workers and families of sailors who died.

Gathering Evidence

Evidence collected in the early stages of the legal process can help determine the strength and effectiveness 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 how the boating collision happened. Eyewitnesses may also provide valuable information that will back your claim.

Medical records are critical for in determining the extent of your injuries as well as the injuries that result from them. These records should include detailed details of hospital and doctor visits as well as rehabilitation procedures, surgeries, and costs associated with them. You should also document any changes in your income and employment as well as other losses that are not financial in nature.

The spinal and brain injuries are common in boat accidents. These injuries can be caused by oxygen deprivation carbon monoxide poisoning, blunt force trauma from hitting the head against areas like the propeller or sides of the boat. These injuries could have a life-changing effect.

Other kinds of marine injuries involve mechanical issues, like electrical or engine malfunctions in steering, abrasions, and gear shift issues. Our NYC lawyers for boating accidents will look into these cases to determine whether the manufacturer should be held accountable for the injuries suffered by accident victims.

How to File a Claim

While it is vital to seek medical attention for injuries as soon as you can following a boat accident, you should not offer a statement to an insurance adjuster or another party without consulting with a lawyer. A lawyer can safeguard your rights, ensuring that you are compensated in a fair manner for any damages.

In order to obtain compensation for a boating incident and you need to make an insurance claim or an action against the party(ies) responsible. This usually involves the presentation of evidence to justify a claim of economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include the costs of medical treatment as well as other expenses related to the accident, like lost income from missed work. Noneconomic damages include pain, suffering, as well as other losses that may be harder to quantify.

In some cases the maker of a vessel or one of its parts may be held accountable for an accident in the event that their product was defectively created or manufactured. A New York boating accident lawyer could investigate the possibility product liability and seek compensation from the responsible parties.

In certain instances, it is not just the person who operates a boat who could be held responsible for the event of a crash. boat accident lawsuit owners can also be held accountable, particularly in the event that the owner is responsible for the hiring and training of the person operating their vessel, or in the event that a person who isn't fit to operate a boat is allowed to use their property.