Many families on Long Island like to enjoy a weekend out on the water. But all of that fun can turn tragic in an instant when a negligent party causes you or your loved ones significant injury. Their actions can lead to catastrophic harm that can cause medical bills to mount up, keep you out of work, or even take the life of someone you love. A boating accident is a serious situation and one that deserves the careful attention of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.
A Commack boat accident lawyer is prepared to help you deal with the aftermath of a major accident on the water and fight for compensation that is rightly owed to you.
Common Injuries in Boating Accidents
For purposes of boating accident cases, the word “boat” is a broad term, encompassing nearly any watercraft. Most commonly, this includes jet skis, fishing boats, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, and pontoons. Injuries sustained while on these watercrafts could be compensated for, whether the boat navigator was responsible or someone on another boat was being negligent. Common injuries that occur in a boating accident include, but are not limited to:
Lacerations and deep cuts
Broken bones and crush injuries
Spinal cord injury
Head trauma and traumatic brain injury
Drowning and wrongful death
When a person sustains injury that requires compensation, it is in their best interest to file a claim with a Commack boat collision lawyer. An assessment of the case by a licensed attorney may help the injured party understand their rights and learn the best way of pursuing damages.
Negligence by Boat Operators
One of the primary ways boat accidents occur is through operator negligence. This could be the owner and driver of a personal boat for recreation or the operator of a commercial water vessel. No matter the situation, the operator is responsible for obeying all safety rules and doing everything in their power to avoid causing harm to others. They could be considered legally negligent if they breach their duty of care in some way and a person is harmed because of it.
In certain cases, the operator of the boat is an employee of a company. In that instance, the operator’s employer is also likely responsible through vicarious liability principles. This lets the injured person seek compensation from the employer as well—not just the individual who operated the boat.
Manufacturer’s Negligence in Boat Injury Cases
Boats are intricate machines with complicated moving parts. Even with simple products like a plastic canoe, boats must be constructed safely and with components that work the way that they are supposed to. When they do not work as intended, the manufacturer may be at fault for the person’s injuries. Defective product cases allow the injured person to go after the manufacturer for compensation.
This can occur if the manufacturer is negligent in the design or the manufacture of the boat or any of its parts. It may also occur when the manufacturer fails to warn of a known danger to the product that leads to harm. A boating injury lawyer in Commack could help a plaintiff determine if this type of personal injury case is relevant in their unique situation.
Consult a Commack Boat Accident Attorney for Your Next Steps
Boating crashes are especially devastating, and can leave you and your family with an enormous amount of medical bills and other intangible losses. Accidents on the water deserve the careful attention of a skilled attorney who could fight for your rights to compensation. Let Long Island car accident lawyers help you file a claim – call us today and schedule a consultation.
We also handle other types of accident cases such as ones related to riding bicycles—an experienced bicycle accident lawyer in Commack from our firm can help. For victims of bus-related accidents, we also have a Commack bus accident lawyer to help you get your claims.