If you live in a state like Illinois or Kentucky, you are surrounded by lakes, both man-made and natural, on which you can go boating and relax with friends and family as you take in nature and the view. Similarly, living in a state like Florida opens you up to ocean living which is probably why a city like Fort Lauderdale is known as the boating capital of the world. While watersports and recreational boating can be a fun and relaxing way to spend one’s weekend or national holiday, it can come with risks that could be avoided if the boat operator took care to follow regulations and rules laid down by various governmental agencies meant to enhance boating safety. According to maritime law, you as a boat, yacht, or any lake vessel passenger are owed a duty of care to be kept safe from harm or injury at all times, as well as are afforded the courtesy of being provided with ample notice or warning regarding potentially injurious hazards so you can take the needed steps to protect yourself. Should you get injured, it can be legally inferred that the boat operator or company breached their duty of care towards you, and thus are legally responsible for your injuries and the resultant financial damages you may suffer, something that you must explore with a top boating injuries and accident attorney before talking to anyone else.

Are you looking for a skilled boating injury lawyer? Please call us NOW at 312-444-0214 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation. The experienced personal injury lawyers at McCready Law have accrued over 50 collective years of legal experience handling thousands of such claims, and in the 25 years we’ve been in operation as a law firm, we’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for past clients, and we’d love to extend the same assistance to you. What sets us apart from other law firms which handle such claims is the fact that we have extensive litigation experience where we’ve taken countless cases to court and won million dollar judgments for our clients, which is a rarity in the civil lawsuits domain owing to the fact that the vast majority of all civil suits end in a pre-trial settlement where both parties come together and agree on a financial figure. What’s unacceptable about this, however, is the fact that settlement negotiations usually net paltry sums compared to if the case were taken to court.

In addition to having a bilingual staff (hablamos Espanol), we have countrywide reach, and we take on all viable cases on contingency fee basis, which simply means that there are ZERO UPFRONT FEES for the duration of the processing of your claim as we only levy our fees at the end of suit, and only if we’ve won your case for you. If you were injured in a boating or watersports accident and believe that someone else was to blame, please call us NOW at 312-444-0214 regardless of where you are in the country for your 100% FREE legal consultation – our intake team is standing by.

Boating Accident Statistics – A Shocking Trend

There is an incorrect perception in the country regarding boating and safety where most people think that nothing untoward can happen to you on the water. This is based off of road safety and the mistaken belief that boats don’t go as fast, and that even if they do, the likelihood of crashing into another boat is next to nil. However, the statistics reveal a different picture: according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s 2021 report, there were close to 5000 boating accidents in the country, causing 658 deaths, which is a 14 percent increase from the previous year. In addition, it was determined that operator inattention was the leading cause of these accidents and consequential deaths, and causes including improper lookout, excessive speed, and alcohol trailed closely behind.

Let’s take a closer look at the most common causes of boating accidents.

Distracted Driving

Our phones have become accessories we cannot live without, and most people unconsciously check their phones to see if they might have missed a notification or a call. Texting while operating a boat as well as answering calls is never a good idea as it has been shown all it takes to cause a vehicular accident is looking away from what you are doing for just three seconds. In addition, engaging in conversations with passengers might be a recipe for disaster simply because it can divert focus away from the task at hand. Lastly, fiddling with the navigation system or the radio which may be needed in order for safe sailing while the boat is sailing may not be the wisest thing to do as it may lead to making cognitive mistakes leading to injury.

Improper Vessel Operation

Navigating a boat or yacht is no easy feat, as there are tons of regulations one must adhere to in order to keep passengers safe. If the boat operator is unable to obey speed limits, understand right-of-way rules and so on, they may cause preventable accidents. In addition, the weather tends to be mercurial over large bodies of water, and an operator must always be on the lookout in order to take safety measures. To this end, they must keep themselves abreast of the weather forecasts and go back to the docks if high winds do not let up in order to prevent a situation where they become overwhelmed and are unable to maintain control of the boat, leading to injuries.

Impaired Driving

Operating a boat or any seaworthy vessel under the influence of drugs or alcohol is asking for trouble due to a number of reasons. First off, the very action of doing so is illegal, and the operator who chooses to engage in this illegal act usually faces reduced reaction times on account of a depressed nervous system, making it that much harder to react in a timely manner to any hazardous situations. In addition, alcohol and drugs can impair one’s judgment, leading to poor decision-making which includes speeding, engaging in animate conversations with passengers, and so on. Impaired driving on a boat isn’t taken seriously by most people simply because there is the perception that having a drink on a boat isn’t like or anywhere close to having a drink while driving a vehicle on a highway.

Best, Countrywide Boating Accident Lawyers – Contact Us Today!

Proving operator negligence can be an uphill task as evidence is the cornerstone to all marine injury related cases, so witness statements, accident reports, video and photographic evidence must all be provided to meet the burden of proof in such cases. When it comes to recovering compensation, one can recover for various damages such as the cost of medical care both present and ongoing, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering from the emotional distress one underwent from the fallout of the boating accident, lawyer’s fees and so much more. Due to the complexity of these cases, we advise clients not to attempt to go it alone and represent themselves, and instead reach out to us NOW at 312-444-0214 for timely legal advice on how we can help expedite the process as well as simplify the law for you. Thanks for choosing McCready Law, and we look forward to helping you.