Maryland Boating Accident Lawyers
A day on a boat can be relaxing and fun. But boating accidents can cause lifelong injury or even death - and the U.S. Coast Guard reported nearly 5,000 boating accidents in 2005 alone, including nearly 4,000 injuries and 697 deaths. Boat accidents can occur due to reckless driving, collisions with boats or other objects, sinking, overboard falls, or defective equipment, but victims themselves can be found partially responsible if they were behaving recklessly at the time of the boating accident.
In general, fault in a boating accident is assigned to the person whose actions caused or contributed to the accident. Any person operating a boat is obligated to act within a certain standard of care, which includes responsibility for all passengers and operating the boat in a safe and legal manner. When this standard of care is neglected, the responsible party can be forced to pay damages to those who were injured due to his or her negligent actions.
Boat operators must follow strict regulations concerning personal flotation devices (PFDs). Given that an estimated 90 percent of boat drowning deaths occur without a life vest, this requirement is easy to understand. Each boat must carry a Coast Guard-approved life vest for every passenger. While adults are not required to wear their PFDs at all times, most states require children under a certain age to wear a life vest at all times. The states that do not have life jacket laws are covered under a blanket federal law, which requires that children under the age of 13 who are on federal waterways must wear PFDs at all times.
The reporting requirements for boating accidents are generally quite strict: when someone is killed or requires more than basic first aid or damage occurs to the boat, a report must be filed with the state boating administrator. Federal law requires that accidents resulting in damage over $2,000 must be reported, but many states have lower damage thresholds and require reporting of any boating accident within 48 hours for death, missing persons or severe injury and ten days when property or the vessel itself is damaged.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed due to a boating accident, you could be eligible for compensation to cover your injuries. Depending on liability and negligence factors, you could recover money associated with the treatment of your injuries, lost wages, wrongful death, or future medical care. If you're interested in filing a boating accident claim, contact the law offices of Steven H. Heisler today. Steven H. Heisler has dedicated his legal practice to the representation of personal injury victims, including those hurt or killed in boating accidents. Contact him today for more information on whether your boating claim will hold water.