Types of injury include broken limbs, crushed hands, burns, other kinds of trauma.
We help people who are experiencing loss of income, physical disability, loss of life enjoyment, loss of conjugal marital satisfaction, loss of work.
Most people who operate a boat are responsible people and are aware of the hazards of boating. Dangerous situations can develop very quickly on a boat; even experienced boaters have mishaps on the water. The type of boating accidents that occur can range from collision, sinking, capsizing, stranding, fire, and explosions. Life threatening personal injury is possible in any one of these situations. Who hasn't seen other boaters make serious errors just traveling through Seattle's Hirem Chittendon locks?
If you or your boat are damaged through someone else's negligence, you may suffer more than just damage to your boat. If a crew member is injured fending-off another boat, will they suffer loss of earnings?
Captains of commercial vessels and ferry boats are held to a high standard of responsibility. A Captain's license is required to operate a commercial vessel or boat. Many states do not require a recreational boat operator have a Captains license or any training. Other states require licensing and training if a boat is over a certain size and they are carrying passengers for hire.
Who is covered by insurance? There may or may not be a state or federal law requiring a boat owner to have insurance.
So consider: How can you tell if the person you are boating with, or next to on the water, has insurance? While it is important to carry liability coverage on a boat, not everyone does. Some states require that boat owners obtain liability coverage at the very least, but many have no requirements at all.
What happens if the person who owns the boat does not have boat insurance, and you suffer an injury?
This can be a very complicated mess. The boat owner may have liability insurance coverage under their homeowner policy. You may also have to explore any uninsured or underinsured boaters insurance you may have.
Most marinas require that tenants carry boat liability insurance. If the boat or vessel has been used as collateral on a bank loan, then the bank will require they be listed as a loss payee, for insurance purposes, to cover their interest in the vessel.
Personal Watercraft & Diving Injuries Accidents Involving Jet Skis, Wave Runners, Tenders, Kayaks
While most boat and personal watercraft operators are aware of the vessels around them and watch out for other vessels or smaller craft on the water, this is not always the case. Collisions with other boaters or fixed objects, divers or swimmers who are hit and injured by a PWC, and people injured when thrown from a personal watercraft can often have long lasting and debilitating injuries. In these cases it may be necessary to examine possible design defects of the watercraft as well as the possibility of individual negligence.
Insurance Coverage Exclusions
Some boat insurance coverage has unique exclusions or exceptions in a specific boating area or state. If the boat you were injured on was in International waters, the boat may not have any coverage at all. Boat owners cruising the waters of Mexico are usually not covered by their standard boat insurance policy.
If you have been injured on a boat and are not sure if the boat owner is properly covered, contact an attorney who can protect your legal rights to compensation for injuries.
Awards for damages including medical expenses and future care, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma are common for victims of boating or diving injuries. In a fatal boating accident, family members are entitled to collect for expenses, loss of net contributions and earnings potential and the emotional stress of losing a loved one. We can help you.
