The Pacific Northwest provides some truly fantastic boating opportunities. However, sometimes people suffer injuries while traveling upon Washington’s seas and waterways. If you or a loved one was hurt following a boating accident, please contact a skilled personal injury attorney to help receive compensation for your injuries.
Common Causes of Boating Accidents
When it comes to recreational boating in Washington, a few common causes of injuries include:
- Alcohol impairment by boat operators or passengers,
- Operator inattention,
- Operator inexperience, and
- Failures to watch for hazards.
Any of the above can lead to an operator or passenger suffering from a minor or severe injury. Some common injuries that people suffer from following a boating accident include:
- Broken bones,
- Lower back injuries,
- Lacerations,
- Herniated discs,
- Pregnancy complications, and
- Torn ligaments
Proving Negligence in Boat Accident Cases
If you were injured in a boating accident, you can recover compensation if you can prove that your accident was caused by the negligence of another party. “Negligence” is a legal term that means a person or business failed to either:
- Act reasonably under the circumstances, or
- Prevent or remove a risk of harm that the party knew of.
Consider, for example, the scenario where you were returning from a whale watching excursion. As the boat approaches the dock, the captain increases the vessel’s speed and you fall backward as a result, injuring your lower back. Here, you could try to receive compensation for your injuries if you can show that the captain acted unreasonably under the circumstances.
Injured victims can try to establish negligence by using any of the following evidence:
- Witness testimony,
- Pictures,
- Surveillance video,
- Personal statements, and
- Medical records.
Damages For Boat Injuries
Parties that are successful in showing that another person’s negligence caused their injuries can receive compensation from the negligent party. In particular, they can receive compensation for:
- Medical expenses,
- Lost wages,
- Lost future earning capacity,
- Property damage,
- Out-of-pocket expenses, and
- Pain and suffering.
Injured victims can try to recover these damages by either:
- Filing a lawsuit against the negligent party, or
- Filing an injury claim with the negligent party’s insurance company.
Contact Otorowski & Golden, PLLC
Please know that Otorowski & Golden, PLLC is here to help if you’ve suffered a boat-related injury. Our attorneys provide free consultations to all our potential clients. Further, the attorneys at our law firm have over 120 years of combined experience representing injured parties and helping them file lawsuits to get the compensation they deserve. Do yourself a favor and contact them now for the quality legal assistance you deserve.