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swansea boat accident lawyer Accident Litigation

Boating is a fun and thrilling recreational activity that can be risky. If a negligent act leads to an accident, the victims and their families may be entitled to monetary compensation for losses and injuries.

A NYC lawyer for boat accidents can help injured victims demand the amount of damages they are entitled to. A claim can include past medical expenses, along with other economic damages.

Damages

Although many people think of bodies of water with the Wild West in the United States, there are laws that govern the boats on rivers and lakes as well as oceans. Boat accidents can trigger multiple federal and state laws that are taken into consideration in determining if negligence took place. If a boat driver is drunk, they could be liable for negligence. Federal laws also deal with pollution and deaths at the sea. Furthermore, there are specific maritime laws, like the Jones Act that give injured workers or their families access to compensation that is similar to workers who receive compensation in other industries.

If a loved one was killed in a fatal boat crash family members may sue for damages, including lost companionship and funeral expenses. They can also sue for pain and suffering. Families can even recover money for past medical bills and future treatment costs.

A New York City boat accident lawyer can help you determine whether you or your loved one was injured in an accident on the boat. An attorney for personal injuries can look over your insurance policy and the responsible party’s boat liability policy to determine the amount of damages you could be entitled to in a settlement or a verdict. A lawyer with experience can also assess if there other parties that could be liable, like the manufacturer, vimeo.com or even a part of the boat that was defective.

Liability

Generally, injured boaters pursue damages to cover medical expenses (past and expected) as well as lost income due to absences from work, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and damage to their boats. Serious injuries include neck and back injuries, brain traumas, broken bones, and internal organ damage.

Boating accidents often involve multiple parties that could potentially bear legal responsibility for the collision, such as the boat’s operator, passengers aboard at the time of the crash as well as other watercraft and boats involved in the collision, the manufacturers of the boats as well as their parts or engines and even the government agencies that are responsible for putting up buoys to warn of hazardous conditions. A personal injury attorney is familiar with federal and state maritime laws to determine who is at fault for an accident.

Under the Jones Act a worker on a vessel injured at sea has the same rights to those of workers compensation beneficiaries. Also, sailors who are injured on international waters or in outer continental shelf waters are entitled to make a claim under the Jones Act and other federal maritime regulations. Workers’ compensation laws of the state laws also apply to maritime workers who have been injured and the families of sailors who have died.

Gathering Evidence

The evidence collected during the initial stages of the legal process could help determine the strength of your case. Photographing the scene of the accident can help determine the extent of liability and reveal what caused the boating collision. It is also important to obtain details from eyewitnesses as they can provide valuable testimony which can back up your assertions.

Medical records are crucial for understanding the severity of your injuries and the damages that resulted. They should contain detailed details of hospital and doctor visitations surgery, rehabilitation as well as the expenses associated with them. You will need to document any changes to your income and capacity to work, as well for any other financial loss.

Boat accidents are often associated with brain and spinal cord injuries. These types of injuries could be caused by oxygen deprivation carbon monoxide poisoning, blunt force trauma from hitting the head on areas such as the propeller or the side of the boat. These injuries can cause life-changing effect.

Other types of maritime injuries result from mechanical issues like electrical or engine problems in the steering system, as well as gear shift problems. Our NYC lawyer for boating accidents will investigate these cases to determine whether the manufacturer should be held responsible for the injuries suffered by accident victims.

How to File a Claim

You should seek medical attention immediately after an accident with a boat. However, it is recommended to consult a lawyer before giving an account to the insurance adjuster or another party. Your attorney can protect your rights, and ensure that you receive adequate compensation for any damages.

In order to obtain compensation for a boating incident you must make an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the party(ies) responsible. This typically includes presenting evidence to support a claim for economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are those incurred as a result of medical treatment and other expenses arising from the accident, for example lost earnings due to missed work. Non-economic damages include pain, suffering, and other types of intangible losses that are difficult to quantify.

In some cases a boat manufacturer or a part of the boat may be held accountable for causing an accident if their product was designed or manufactured in a defective manner. A knowledgeable New York boating injury lawyer will determine if product liability is involved and seek compensation from the responsible parties.

In some cases, it is not just the operator of a vessel that could be held accountable for an accident. The owner of a vessel can be held liable too, particularly in the event that they are responsible for hiring or training the person who operates their vessel or permit a person who isn’t fit to operate a boat on their property.