It is this time of the year again with many boating,
fishing, jet ski, sailing accidents reported.
Several deaths have already been reported across the nation.
Owners and operators of boats and jet skis are liable for
injuries they cause through reckless behavior or general negligence on the
waterways of our community. At Metropolitan, we work with lawyers in
determining the factors involved in a boating, sailing, fishing, parasailing or
jet ski incident.
Since many water-related incidents involve alcohol, it’s
important to determine if a mechanized vessel (boat or jet ski, etc.) operator
was drunk or impaired at the time of an incident. However, since there can be a substantial lag
time between an incident on a lake or river and the ability of the authorities
to conduct a breathalyzer or blood alcohol test, it’s important to interview
witnesses and those onboard a boat to verify that drinking played a role. In
boating and jet ski incidents that do not involve alcohol, we expose negligence
and reckless behavior involving violations of the rules governing navigable
waters and safety compliance issues.
If you’ve been seriously injured in a boat or jet ski
incident, contact us today to begin the investigation immediately.
Injuries and Water-Related Incidents
The investigation firm of Metropolitan Forensics assists
people injured in water-related incidents involving the following:
·
Intoxicated boat operators
·
Collisions with other boats or jet skis
·
Jet ski, parasailing, fishing, sailing, boating
incidents
·
Running aground, causing people to be thrown
from the boat
·
Lack of life preservers or other safety devices
·
Hitting sandbars, buoys or other obstacles in
the water
·
Onboard fires or explosions
·
Boat Operators and Owners – Liability for
Boating Safety
Boat owners and operators are responsible for complying with
safety regulations in the upkeep and maintenance of their vessel in order to
keep us all safe.
Additionally, boats should have functioning life preservers
and a fire extinguisher. Consequently, boat owners and operators can be held
liable for injuries that result from poorly maintained boats or an absence of
life preservers.
Even if a boat owner or operator is not at fault in causing an
incident, he or she can still be held liable if the lack of life preservers or
absence of a fire extinguisher played a role in injuries that occurred after a
collision.
And, while a boat owner may have little by way of boating
insurance, in most cases, damages can also be collected from a person’s home
owner’s policy.