During the summer, many people are excited to uncover their boats and take them on the water. They look forward to spending time with loved ones while relaxing and having a fun experience. However, boats can be dangerous if people are not safe and they are not operated correctly. If a boating accident happens, people can suffer from extreme, life-changing injuries and sometimes even death.
If you are a boat owner, it is important to make sure your boat is taken care of and in proper condition before taking it out for the summer. If you are a passenger that was injured in a boating accident due to the owner’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation. This can provide coverage for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
What is Boating Negligence?
Boat owners are required to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of everyone on their boat. If they fail to do so and someone becomes injured as a result, they can be held liable for the accident and the injuries sustained. Some ways a boat owner may be considered negligent can include the following:
- If he or she is not an experienced boater
- If he or she collides with another object because of inattentiveness, drowsiness, etc.
- If he or she does not provide proper safety equipment on board and someone becomes injured as a result
- If he or she operates the boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- If he or she causes an injury due to speeding
Recovering Compensation
If a person injured during a boat accident wants to hold the boat owner responsible, they can do so through a personal injury lawsuit. During this process, they must prove negligence by satisfying the burden of proof. To do this, they are required to gather evidence that shows the accident and their injuries occurred due to the boat owner’s poor behavior or decision making. Evidence that can be used during a case can consist of pictures or videos of the scene of the accident, medical documentation of the injuries, and any potential witnesses. This can help a case in court.
In addition to this, it is important to be careful when using social media after filing a personal injury claim. This is because insurance companies may monitor social media for any activity that can prove a claim to be untrue.
Contact our Firm
If you or a loved one has been in a personal injury accident in Pennsylvania, it’s important that you contact an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney to help you with your case. Contact Spear Greenfield to get the right attorney in your corner.
Call or text (215) 985-2424 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
