Belle Glade Boat Accident Lawyer

The waterways around Belle Glade provide residents and visitors an opportunity for recreational boating. However, a large number of inexperienced boaters on the water increases the likelihood of a devastating collision that could impact everyone onboard.Much like with car crashes, the impact from a boat collision could be deadly. These wrecks also have the additional risks that come with operating on a large body of water. The potential for drowning is high, especially when the impact of a collision could render a person unconscious.

If you were harmed in a watercraft accident, you could have a claim for compensation against the person that caused it. A dedicated personal injury attorney at Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa could review the crash and discuss your options for financial recovery with you. If successful, a Belle Glade boat accident lawyer could help you obtain the compensation you need.

Common Watercraft Accidents

When reviewing the facts of a boat accident, a Belle Glade attorney will likely first turn their attention to how the collision occurred. Many boat accidents involve two boats striking each other, but single-boat accidents are also common. Collisions between two boats can occur when one or both drivers are distracted or traveling at unsafe speeds. Often, intoxication from drugs or alcohol could play a part in these collisions.

Single-boat crashes often involve an inexperienced or inattentive watercraft operator colliding with a fixed object. These fixed objects could include piers, bridges, or submerged rocks. An accident could also involve a boat “running aground,” which occurs when it strikes land.

In some situations, a boat can floor or sink even when it does not collide with anything. This can present a serious risk to anyone onboard, especially if there are a limited number of life vests. Boats can sink or flood due to poor maintenance, faulty repairs, or mechanical defects.

The most serious watercraft accidents result from a person falling overboard. This can occur whether the boat has struck another object or not. In some cases, roughhousing or violence between boat passengers could cause one or both people to fall overboard. In any of these cases, a skilled Belle Glade attorney could help a person injured in a boating accident seek compensation.

Available Compensation in a Boating Accident Claim

A Belle Glade attorney could help someone who suffered harm in a watercraft accident seek a variety of monetary compensation from the negligent party. The types of available compensation could relate to a person’s bodily injuries or the damage their vessel suffered in the crash. Compensation could cover a plaintiff’s:

• Past and future lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Disfigurement and scarring
• Long-term medical bills
• Boat repair expenses
• Loss of consortium

The evidence needed to prove these damages at trial can vary. While health and employment records could establish a plaintiff’s medical bills or lost wages, other losses are more subjective. It could require expert testimony for a jury to put a value on losses like disfigurement or disability.

Contact a Belle Glade Boat Accident Attorney

To ensure you are properly compensated following a boat wreck, it could be in your best interest to contact an accomplished attorney from Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa right away. Your attorney can ensure not only that your rights are protected but that you also put forward the strongest case possible.

Do not hesitate to seek legal counsel before you take on an injury claim. To get started, speak with a Belle Glade boat accident lawyer right away.