Boat Accident Litigation
Boating can be an exciting and enjoyable leisure activity, but it is also dangerous. If a negligent act leads to an accident, victims and their families may be entitled to compensation for the injuries and losses.
A NYC lawyer for boat accidents can assist injured victims in obtaining the full amount of damages they are entitled to. A claim can be an obligation to pay for medical expenses as well as other financial damages.
Damages
Many people think of waters like the Wild West, there are laws that govern boats that are moored on lakes, rivers and oceans in the United States. Boat accidents may be governed by a variety of federal and state laws that are taken into consideration to determine if negligence was the cause. For instance, if a boat operator was drunk, this could make them vulnerable to civil lawsuits for negligence. There are also federal laws that address the issue of pollution and deaths at sea. There are also maritime regulations, such as the Jones Act, that provide injured workers and their families with similar compensation options to other industries.
If a loved one was killed in a boat accident, the family can sue on their behalf for damages including loss of companionship, funeral expenses and pain and suffering. Families can recover money to cover medical costs from the past as well as future treatment.
If a boating accident resulted in injuries to you or your loved ones A New York City boat accident attorney can help you determine what damages you may be entitled to claim. A personal injury lawyer will examine your insurance coverage and the responsible party's boat liability policy to determine what type of compensation you might be entitled to receive in a settlement or verdict. A lawyer with experience can also assess if there are any other parties that could be responsible, for instance the manufacturer or the part of the
boat accident lawyer that was defective.
Liability
In general, injured boaters seek compensation to cover medical costs (past and future) and lost income due to absence from work emotional trauma, as well as suffering and pain. Injuries that are serious include neck and back injuries and brain traumas, as well as broken bones and internal organ damage.
Boating
accidents often involve multiple parties that could be liable for legal liability for a accident, including the vessel's operator, passengers aboard at the time of the accident or other watercraft and boats involved in the collision, manufacturers of the boats and their parts or engines and even authorities responsible for putting buoys to warn people of danger conditions. An attorney for personal injury will be knowledgeable of federal and state maritime laws in order to determine who is accountable for an accident.
Under the Jones Act, a worker on a vessel who is injured at sea has rights to a compensation equal to that of workers' compensation recipients. Similarly, sailors who are injured on international waters or in the outer continental shelf waters are entitled to submit a claim under Jones Act and other federal maritime regulations. Injured maritime workers and relatives of sailors who died have rights under state workers' compensation laws.
Gathering Evidence
Evidence collected in the early stages of the legal process can help determine the strength and effectiveness of your case. For instance, taking pictures of the scene of the accident can be useful in determining the degree of liability as well as establishing the circumstances of the boating accident. Eyewitnesses can also give important information to support your claim.
Medical records are vital for determining the extent of your injuries and the damages that resulted. These records should include detailed details of doctor and hospital visits, surgeries, rehabilitation treatments, and the costs associated with these. You will need to document changes in your income and employment capacity, as well in any other losses that are not financial.
Injuries to the spinal cord and brain are common in boat accidents. These injuries may be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, oxygen deprivation, or blunt force trauma when your head strikes the propeller of the boat. The majority of the time, these injuries are life-changing.
Other kinds of marine accidents involve mechanical failures, such as electrical or engine failure, steering problems, and problems with gear shifts. In these instances our NYC lawyer for boating accidents will determine if the manufacturer should be held responsible for injuries sustained by victims of accidents.
How to File a Claim
While it is vital to seek medical attention for injuries immediately after a boating accident however, you shouldn't make a statement to an insurance adjuster, or another party without first consulting a lawyer. A lawyer can safeguard your rights and ensure that you are compensated in a fair manner for the damage.
The legal process to seek compensation for a boating accident involves filing an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the party or parties that are liable. This typically involves the presentation of evidence to justify a claim of economic as well as non-economic damages. Economic damages can include medical expenses and other expenses incurred as a result of the accident, which includes lost earnings due to missed work. Non-economic damages can include pain, suffering, and other forms of loss that is difficult to quantify.
In some cases, the manufacturer of a boat or one of its components can be held liable for an accident when their product was not properly created or manufactured. A New York boating accident lawyer can investigate the possibility of product liability and seek compensation from the responsible parties.
In some instances, it is not just the boat's operator who is liable for an accident. The owner of the vessel is liable as well, especially when they are accountable for hiring or training the person operating their vessel, or allow a person who is not fit to operate the vessel on their premises.