How A Boat Accident Attorney Can Help Your Case (Feb 2025)
Summary
- Recreational boating accidents injure and kill thousands annually
- Most states do not require liability insurance for boats
- A boat accident attorney helps clients seek injury compensation
Injuries due to recreational boating accidents are different from occupational maritime injuries. Injured longshore workers and sailors are usually covered by federal law and should consult a work injury lawyer. In contrast, recreational boating accident cases fall under state personal injury law.
States have not adopted a uniform approach to boat liability insurance. Every state except New Hampshire requires automobile owners to buy liability insurance to protect any person the owner injures. Only two states, Utah and Arkansas, require boat owners to carry liability insurance.
When the boat owner doesn’t have liability insurance, someone injured by a boater’s negligent or wrongful actions has no clear path to recovering compensation. Instead, a boat accident attorney can explain the victim’s options based on the at-fault boater’s actions and explore the resources available to pay for their injuries.
ConsumerShield educates injured boaters, swimmers, and bystanders injured by at-fault boaters. We can also help you find a lawyer with experience handling boating accidents. Contact us for a free case evaluation and a boat accident lawyer referral.
Free Car Accident Case Review
Preparing Case Review Form. ConsumerShield is transforming the way consumers experience law.
Boat Accident Causes
There is no definitive count of recreational boating accidents in the U.S. The law requires boaters to report accidents to state authorities. However, many accidents go unreported because the crash sites are remote and because some boaters ignore these reporting laws.
State boating officials report data to the U.S. Coast Guard regardless of where the crash occurred. The Coast Guard collects statistics from crashes on the ocean, coastlines, reservoirs, lakes, rivers, and man-made canals.
Coast Guard recreational boating accident statistics for 2023 reveal that the agency received reports of 3,844 accidents. These accidents caused:
- 564 fatal injuries
- 2,126 nonfatal injuries
Many of these accidents were not anyone’s fault. The boat may have swamped or capsized in bad weather. Or the operator may have accidentally grounded the vessel.
However, according to the Coast Guard, the top two reasons for injuries and deaths related to recreational boating were collisions with other vessels and collisions with fixed objects.
Boat Accident Liability
Someone injured in a boat accident may file an injury claim against anyone else whose negligence contributed to their injuries. Similarly, a boat operator can defend themselves by showing that a victim was partially at fault for their injuries under the contributory negligence rule.
Victims of boat accidents may be:
- Swimmers, water-skiers, and other non-boaters in the water
- Bystanders on piers, docks, and land
- Passengers on the at-fault boater’s vessel
- Occupants of other vessels, including nonmotorized vessels like kayaks
To prove liability, victims and their attorneys must have evidence that the operator acted negligently. The most common causes of boating injuries and fatalities are not, as you might suspect, weather, hazardous waters, or mechanical failures. Instead, Coast Guard statistics show that the following operator errors are very common:
- Drug or alcohol use (DUI or BUI)
- Operator inexperience
- Improper lookout
- Operator inattention
- Excessive speed
- Navigation rules violations
A boat accident attorney can use these acts to prove the operator’s failure to exercise reasonable care was the proximate cause of their client’s injuries.
Free Car Accident Case Review
Preparing Case Review Form. ConsumerShield is transforming the way consumers experience law.
The Role of a Boat Accident Attorney
The greatest obstacle to recovering injury compensation for boating accidents is the absence of any uniform boat insurance requirement.
In Utah and Arkansas, accident victims can file insurance claims against a negligent boater’s mandatory liability policy. Other states do not require boaters to carry liability insurance. However, many boaters voluntarily add this optional coverage.
If the boat owner has this coverage, the victim can file an insurance claim. With their lawyer’s help, they’ll explain how the insured operator caused the crash. The lawyer will provide medical records and other documents to prove their client’s losses.
In most of these cases, the insurer and the attorney negotiate a settlement. If the insurer denies liability, the lawyer can submit additional evidence and legal arguments to challenge the denial.
When an at-fault boater does not have boat liability insurance, a boat accident lawyer must search for alternative sources of compensation. In some cases, the lawyer can file a claim with the boater’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy.
If the lawyer cannot find a policy that will cover their client’s losses — or the policy limits do not fully compensate them — they can file a lawsuit against the boater. However, even if the victim wins, the boater might not have enough assets to pay a judgment. An attorney can investigate the boater and determine whether filing a lawsuit is worthwhile.
How to Find and Hire the Best Boat Accident Attorney for Your Case
Experience matters in legal cases. Insurers have teams of lawyers to defend their policyholders. You need a lawyer who has handled boat accident cases and can match their knowledge.
Depending on where you live, an online search for a “boating accident attorney near me” might not return any results. Instead, you could start your search by finding well-regarded injury lawyers in your area and calling them to find out whether they handle boat accident cases. For example, a personal injury lawyer in Tampa is likely to know boating laws.
Once you find some lawyers who have relevant experience, schedule free consultations with them. Use this time to discuss the lawyer’s previous boat accident cases, including the outcomes of these cases.
Free Car Accident Case Review
Preparing Case Review Form. ConsumerShield is transforming the way consumers experience law.
Contact ConsumerShield for Help Finding a Boating Accident Attorney
Boat accidents can cause grievous injuries or even death. ConsumerShield educates injury victims about their rights and connects them with skilled lawyers. Contact us for a free case evaluation and a boat accident attorney referral.
Car Accident Knowledge Base
Read the latest information on Car Accident and find answers to your questions. Currently there are 99 topics about Car Accident Claims.
-
Hit & Run Lawyer
-
Car Lawyer New York City
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In New York City, NY (2025)
-
Distracted Driving
Finding A Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer (February 2025)
-
Lawyer Las Vegas
-
Rideshare Lawyer
Rideshare Accident Lawyers: Why You Need One (February 2025)
-
Pedestrian Lawyer
Pedestrian Accident Lawyer: Find The Best Near You (Feb 2025)
-
Lawyer Sacramento
-
Auto Injury Lawyer Macon
Find The Best Auto Injury Lawyer in Macon, Georgia (Feb 2025)
-
Lawyer Chicago
-
Lawyer Indianapolis
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Indianapolis (Feb 2025)
-
Lawyer Philadelphia
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Philadelphia (Feb 2025)
-
Lawyer Houston
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Houston (February 2025)
-
Lawyer Atlanta
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Atlanta (February 2025)
-
Lawyer Anaheim
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Anaheim (February 2025)
-
Lawyer Phoenix
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Phoenix (February 2025)
-
Lawyer Maryland
-
Lawyer San Antonio
-
Lawyer Riverside
-
Lawyer Cincinnati
-
Car Lawyer Jacksonville
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Jacksonville, FL (2025)
-
Car Lawyer New Orleans
-
Car Lawyer Long Beach
-
Car Lawyer Colorado
-
Pedestrian Lawyer Texas
-
Lawyer Massachusetts
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer in Massachusetts (Feb 2025)
-
Lawyer Orlando
-
Settlements No Injury
Typical Car Accident Settlement Amounts With No Injuries (2025)
-
Claim Lost Wages
-
Car Lawyer Fees
-
Worth Getting Attorney
-
Settlement Take Long
Why Is My Car Accident Settlement Taking So Long? (Feb 2025)
-
Whiplash Claims
-
Settlement Duration
-
Valuing Settlements
-
Car Accident Claim
Settle a Car Accident Claim Without a Lawyer (February 2025)
-
Lawsuit Guide
-
Insurance Increase
-
Property Damage
-
How Long To File
-
To Do Checklist
-
Drug Testing Laws
-
Totaled Not Fault
Car Totaled, But Not at Fault: What Happens Next? (Feb 2025)
-
Insurance Go Up
-
Passenger Compensation
How Much Money Can a Passenger in a Car Accident Get? (2025)
-
Time to Report
-
No Insurance Collisions
-
Uninsured Motorist
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD) Insurance: How it Works
-
Rear-End Collisions
-
Worst Injuries
-
T-Bone Accident
-
Headache Car Accident
-
Common Car Injuries
-
Head-On Collisions
Head-On Collisions: Injuries & Proving Fault (February 2025)
-
Airbag Injuries
Airbag Injuries: Do You Have a Product Liability Case? (2025)
-
Back And Neck Settlements
Average Car Accident Settlements for Back & Neck Injuries '25
-
Hit Parked Car
-
Pedestrian Hit
-
Unknowingly Hit
-
Collision Type Motorcycles
What’s The Most Common Type Of Collision Between Cars And Motorcycles?
-
Train Accident Lawyer
Train Accident Lawyer: Holding Train Operators Liable (2025)
-
Boat Accident Attorney
-
Bus Accident Lawyer
-
No Injury Lawyer
Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer for a Non Injury Accident? '25
-
Lawyer For Minor Car Accident
-
Unlicensed Driver
-
Rental Accident
-
Broken Side Mirror
Is It Illegal To Drive With A Broken Side Mirror? (Feb 2025)
-
Illegal Drive Barefoot
-
Illegal Driving
-
Car Accident
-
Graves Amendment
Graves Amendment: Liability for Rental Car Accidents (February 2025)
-
Lawyer Colorado Springs
Find The Best Car Accident Lawyer In Colorado Springs (2025)
-
Statute Of Limitations
-
Permit Driving Rules
Permit Driving Rules: Teaching Safe Driving Habits (Feb 2025)
Frequently Asked Questions
-
It is usually worthwhile to speak to a lawyer if you were injured or a family member was killed in an accident. Most boat injury lawyers offer free consultations where they will review your case and explain your legal options.
-
Boating accident lawyers are usually personal injury lawyers with experience handling boat accident cases. Most charge a contingency fee based on the compensation they recover. You pay a percentage of the settlement or trial award as legal fees.
-
You can seek compensation for economic losses such as past and future medical expenses and lost wages. You can also pursue compensation for non-economic losses, like pain and suffering. If the victim dies, the family or estate may file a lawsuit for wrongful death.