Boating & Maritime Accident Attorneys

Common causes include operator inexperience, boating under the influence (BUI), excessive speed, failure to keep a proper lookout, overcrowding, defective equipment, and dangerous wake activity. Personal watercraft (jet skis) are involved in a disproportionate share of serious injuries.

Injuries range from propeller strikes and drowning to spinal injuries from wake impacts and traumatic brain injuries in collisions. Boating injuries often occur far from immediate medical care, which can worsen outcomes.

Different bodies of water trigger different legal frameworks. Injuries on 'navigable waters' fall under federal admiralty law, which affects statutes of limitations, available damages, and where cases can be filed. Cases on lakes and inland waters typically follow state law.

Boat owners' insurance often has significant limits, but not always — and 'no wake' zone violations, alcohol involvement, and Coast Guard equipment violations can support claims against multiple parties, including rental operators and equipment manufacturers.