Personal Injuries From Watercraft Accidents
Posted on: 27 November 2018
Personal injuries may occur from a variety of everyday activities, such as driving, going to a store, or boating. Still, many people may know little about watercraft injuries.
Here is a bit of information about personal injuries that occur from watercraft accidents to help you better understand your legal rights.
Does a Boating Injury Automatically Make You Eligible for Compensation?
Like other personal injuries, a watercraft injury may be related to someone else's negligence. Negligence occurs when someone fails to react to a situation with a reasonable amount of care. Although you are not automatically eligible for compensation simply because an injury occurs, if you and your attorney can prove that your injury transpired because of someone else's negligence, you may be able to recover the incident-related damages.
What Types of Boating Accidents Often Involve Negligence?
Different types of boating accidents may occur. Here are a few that may involve negligence:
- Collisions with another watercraft. When a boat hits another watercraft, one or both craft operators may be at fault. Each of the boats' injured occupants may have grounds to pursue a personal injury case against the operators of both watercrafts. However, the operators of each craft may only be able to pursue a claim against the other boat's operator.
- Collisions with a wave. When an injury occurs because of a large wave that was not caused by another boat, the liability may rest solely with the operator of the injured passenger's boat.
- Collisions with a rock or other stationary object. Sometimes, a boat may strike an object that lies hidden beneath the surface of the water. If the operator of the boat failed to properly chart the area or travels too fast in an area of limited visibility, they may be liable for damages.
- Collisions with the wake from another boat. An injury may occur because a craft strikes a large wave that has been generated by another boat. The liability related to an injury from a collision with a wake may depend on the speed of the craft that generated the wake, the amount of craft traffic around the accident, the size of the wave, and whether the injured persons were warned about the upcoming wake.
Watercraft accident victims may be entitled to reimbursement for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured in a watercraft accident, contact an attorney at a firm like the Law Office Of Andrew J Leger Jr to schedule an appointment.
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