Boston Boat Accident Lawyer

Whether your boat accident involved an injury, property damage, or even a drowning, you can receive compensation with help from a Boston boat accident lawyer.

Boston Harbor, the Charles, and the Cape offer many options for recreational boaters and rowers. But recreational craft large and small not only have to coexist with each other, but they also need to keep clear of commercial vessels that may be operating at high speeds. When boat operators flout the rules and behave in an unsafe manner, crashes occur, often leaving innocent victims seriously injured or even killed.

In fact, 626 deaths and 2,618 injuries in a total of 4,158 recreational boating accidents were reported by the Coast Guard in 2015, costing $42,000,000 in property damage.

If a boating accident has affected your life, it may be time to speak with a Boston boat accident lawyer from Joel H. Schwartz, PC to find out if you are due compensation for your injuries. If someone else behaved negligently, you may have grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death case.

Causes of Boating Accidents in Massachusetts

Some boaters go out on the water without the proper certification and fail to educate themselves about the unique hazards of boating, fail to obey laws, and take a laissez-faire attitude toward piloting their craft, which can all lead to unnecessary accidents.

Something about being on the open water makes some boaters feel like they are at liberty to do whatever they want.

Perhaps it’s because being on the water doesn’t seem to have the immediate dangers of the highway. There’s no constant oncoming traffic or lurking troopers, so boaters feel like they can go as fast as they want, drink their fill, and cut loose without consequence. Or maybe they pull their boat out once a year and barely use it, so they feel that they don’t have to keep up on repairs and maintenance.

According to the US Coast Guard, the following scenarios were the top five causes of recreational boating accidents. All of these reasons could qualify for a personal injury lawsuit, so be certain to discuss it with your Boston boat accident lawyer:

Operator inattention
Operator inexperience
Improper lookout
Machinery failure
Excessive speed

The Top Cause of Boating Fatalities Is Alcohol Use

According to the US Coast Guard, approximately 17 percent of fatal boating accidents involved alcohol. When pleasure boating, many people partake of alcohol and drugs, possibly thinking that drunk boating can’t be as hazardous as driving a car under the influence.

Obviously, impairment while operating any kind of craft is hazardous regardless of whether you are on land or on sea, and their poor judgment can lead to injury and death for others. A Boston boat accident lawyer from our firm will recover the police reports and blood alcohol content tests that will support your case.

Boat Accident Injury Types

Your Boston boat accident lawyer will be familiar with representing clients who have suffered a variety of different injury types. What follows are the types we see most frequently in recreational boating accidents:

Head and brain injuries
Spinal cord damage
Hypothermia from being stranded in the water
Deep lacerations from propeller injuries
Broken bones
Wrongful death, often by drowning

What Can Be Compensated in a Boat Accident?

If there was any wrongdoing or negligence that led to your boating accident, you may have a personal injury case allowing you to seek monetary damages. Past and future earnings can be sought, as well as payment for past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, mental anguish, and emotional distress.

Not only may another boater be responsible for your crash, but the owner of the vessel or the parts manufacturer could also be at fault. Sometimes multiple parties will be relevant to a case. Recalls of boating parts are common and may have played a part in your accident. It’s important to act now to make sure you get the compensation you’ll need down the line for your injuries.

Consult with a Boston Boat Accident Lawyer

The Law Offices of Joel H. Schwartz, PC can provide you with a skilled Boston boat accident lawyer who knows how to piece together the details of your accident and build the strongest case possible for you. We will help you seek damages for all of the ways that your injuries have affected you—whether financial, emotional, or physical.

We know how to examine boat accidents and collect evidence to piece together the details of what happened. Call us today for free and with no obligation by dialing 1-800-660-2270. Alternatively, you can also reach us by submitting the form below.