When you go out on the lake or river, no one expects a day of fun and enjoyment to end in severe or even catastrophic injuries. Sadly, this is always a possibility when a boat operator, passenger, or other party acts recklessly or negligently. While alcohol is often involved in boating accidents, many times injuries from boating and pulling a tube are the result of dangerous driving or someone simply not paying attention.However, a silver lining to such an unfortunate event is that many boat owners carry insurance that will go towards covering your medical and hospital bills.
When you are hurt in a boat accident, speak with an experienced boat accident lawyer to assess and review your legal options. A skilled personal injury attorney at Maze Law Offices could determine whether you have grounds to file a claim and help you pursue financial recovery and a settlement for your injuries. We have helped recover settlements for injured victims and their families involving boating and lake injuries on Lake Cumberland, Cave Run Lake, Laurel Lake, Herrington Lake, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, as well as many lakes and waterways outside of Kentucky.
Many parties can share responsibility for a boat wreck. Watercraft accidents often arise from the owner, operator, passengers, or crew member’s irresponsible actions. Another party’s negligence, like the boat manufacturer or the manufacturer of a particular piece of equipment on the boat, may also be to blame for the collision. In some cases, a boat accident can stem from an underlying defect in the design of a piece of machinery installed in the boat.
Boat accidents commonly occur when someone operates the vessel at excessive speeds, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or in dangerous conditions. This can occur commonly when someone is being pulled on a tube behind the boat. However, due to the rise in seadoos and sea-doo boats, the high speed of these water vehicles often can result in inuries to a passenger or another group tubing or skiing nearby. Careless acts or disregard for the safety of others when behind the wheel of a water vessel can result in explosions, wrecks with other vehicles or objects in the water, turnovers, or the ejection of passengers. Sometimes, a boat accident happens because the driver did not properly anchor the watercraft. Although it is rare, there are also cases of boats starting a propeller while there are swimmers still in the water and the propeller causing serious lacerations or amputations.
A Lexington attorney could carefully investigate the chain of events leading to the boat accident to assess whether the actions of any individuals present that day or other third parties may have played a role in the injuries and damages that ensued. Depending on the party or parties who may bear responsibility for the underlying accident, the case may revolve around one or multiple theories of legal liability.
Because water vessel collisions cause severe—and sometimes fatal—injuries like TBIs, spinal cord damage, broken bones, and amputations, injured people can collect several sources of compensation.
Available compensation includes economic, non-economic, and punitive damages in some cases. Economic damages include payment for past and future wages lost from the accident, past and future medical bills, and other costs with a specific dollar amount. Non-economic damages include losses like pain, suffering, and lost life enjoyment. While the court does not award punitive damages in all claims, it may award them as a means of deterring the defendant from carrying out similar negligent acts.
The statute of limitations for most personal injury claims—and the one that applies to boat accidents cases—is just one year. Unless the victim starts their claim by one year from the accident date, they can lose the right to get compensation for their injuries. In addition to seeking medical treatment in the aftermath of a severe boat accident, contacting a knowledgeable lawyer in Lexington without delay is crucial.
A Lexington boat accident lawyer knows the lengths that insurance companies will go to when denying liability, even when their insured seems guilty. Whether the at-fault party is an individual or a company, an attorney could put effective legal strategies to work for your case.
When bringing a personal injury suit, you do not have to pay a penny to begin your case. Instead, a legal team member at Maze Law Offices could put in effort to see that anyone who played a role in your boat accident injuries pays out the damages you deserve. Contact our office today to schedule your consultation.
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