Boat Accident

While both recreational boats and commercial boats are involved in serious accidents, most accidents involve recreational watercraft. Recreational boats include cruisers, motorboats, sailboats, and water scooters. There are a wide range of injuries that boat accident victims can suffer including a spinal cord injury, broken bones, bruises, contusions, a head injury or a brain injury. In the same way that a victim of a car accident may seek damages from the negligent person through a personal injury claim, the law allows victims of boat accidents to seek damages as well. Depending on where the boat accident takes place, the law that will be applied to a boat accident is either maritime law or New York law. In addition, there is another set of laws that will apply if an employee is injured while working on navigable waters. If you are in need of a New York Injury Lawyer because you were seriously injured as a result of the negligence of another person, contact an experienced Bronx Boat Accident Lawyer who will review the facts of your case and work aggressively to ensure that you receive the compensation to which you are entitled. In addition, if during the course of the treatment for your injuries the medical staff commits medical malpractice, the party responsible for your boat accident injuries may be required to compensate you for the medical malpractice injury as well.

Boat accidents often include capsizing, passengers falling overboard, collision with another boat or structure, fire, and sinking or flooding. Most boat accidents are avoidable as they are often caused by negligence. Common reasons for boat accidents are operator inattention, operator inexperience, improper lookout, machinery failure, and excessive speed. As a result of such negligence victims suffer serious injuries and in some cases victims die. In fatal boat accidents the top contributing factor is alcohol use.

Ferry accidents also occur as a result of negligence on the part of the ferry operator or the company that manages the ferry business. Common causes of ferry accidents include operator error, excessive speed, alcohol or drug use, poor maintenance, overloaded vessel, poor hiring practices, and failure to follow safety standards. There are several ferries that operate in New York including the Staten Island Ferry, New York Water Taxi, East River Ferry, Hudson River Ferry and ferries to the 9/11 Memorial. While many ferry services in New York are owned by private operators, others such as the Staten Island Ferry are owned and operated by the New York Department of Transportation. There are special rules that need to be followed before you can move forward with a lawsuit against the government.

Boating injuries do not only occur on recreational watercraft and ferries. People who work on boats and ships also are sometimes injured in the course of employment. Maritime law, also referred to as admiralty law, is a distinct set of procedural and substantive rules that govern boats, ships, shipping, and other activities at sea or in any navigable waters. If you were injured while employed to work aboard a vessel as a seaman, crewmember, or commercial fisherman, you are protected by a federal maritime law called the Jones Act. 46 U.S.C. § 688. The Jones Act provides comprehensive coverage for crewmembers who are injured or die through negligence of their employer.

Serious injuries from a boat accident can lead to substantial medical bills, extended recovery time, and inability to work. Through a personal injury lawsuit there are a variety of types of damages that may be available to you based on the losses you suffered. For example, seriously injured victims will undoubtedly face substantial medical expenses. These expenses include the fees your doctors charge, ambulance fees, emergency room fees, hospital fees, surgical fees, costs of prescriptions, costs of medical equipment, as well as fees associated with rehabilitation. In addition, if you miss work, the negligent party is responsible for paying you the wages and other compensation that you lost.

Boat accident cases are extremely complicated and may involve state, federal as well as international law. To make sure that your case is properly handled it is critical that those who represent you are experienced handling boat accident cases. Contact Stephen Bilkis and Associates, PLLC to discuss the details of your case. Our staff is experienced in handling claims from people injured on a variety of watercraft including fishing boats, water skis, cruise ships, jet skis, commuter ferries, and sailboats. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case.