Erlanger Boat Accident Lawyer

In many ways, collisions between vessels out on the water are substantially more dangerous than collisions between motor vehicles on land. Even though cars can travel at much higher speeds than most recreational watercraft, the lack of safety devices such as airbags and seatbelts can lead to passengers on colliding watercraft suffering more serious injuries than they would if they were inside an enclosed motor vehicle.

When you factor in the risk of drowning in accidents on navigable waterways, it is understandable that marine injury lawsuits are often highly complex and carry particularly high costs and potential recoveries. Working with our experienced and skilled personal injury attorneys can be essential for managing this process efficiently and maximizing financial recovery. If you have been hurt due to the negligence of another boater, contacting an Erlanger boat accident lawyer from our team should be among your top priorities.

Reporting Collisions on the Ohio River

State law requires you to file a written boat accident report with the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources if your boat is involved in an accident on a navigable waterway of the Commonwealth that results in any of the following:

• Damage to vessel(s) or other personal property valued in excess of $500
• Any physical injury to a person involved in the crash that requires professional medical treatment or causes incapacitation
• Any disappearance of a human being
• Any death of a human being

You must submit this report within five days of the incident unless it led to a disappearance, or an injury that caused a severe disability or death, in which case the deadlines are 48 hours and 24 hours after the accident, respectively. Boat crashes on the Ohio River may also require you to submit reports in other states, depending on exactly where the incident occurred, as our Erlanger attorneys can further explain.

How Can Legal Counsel Help With a Marine Injury Lawsuit?

In addition to guiding you through any applicable reporting requirements, our team can help you avoid some of the common legal hurdles in marine injury claims. Most importantly, we can help you contest any allegations that you contributed to the accident through your own actions or negligence.

If a civil court accepts such an allegation, it could assign you a percentage of comparative fault for your injuries and reduce your compensation proportionally. Since private insurance companies will also consider comparative fault during marine accident insurance claims, this can be a significant obstacle to recovery, and one that attorneys at our Erlanger office can work to mitigate.

Call our Erlanger Boat Crash Attorneys Today

Whether you are operating a boat you own personally, renting a vessel for the day, or riding as a passenger on either type of watercraft, you have legally enforceable rights on the water which other boaters must abide by. If someone else failed to respect your rights and instead negligently caused you or a loved one to suffer serious harm in a boating accident, you also have the right to take legal action against them in civil court.

An Erlanger boat accident lawyer from our team can provide invaluable support throughout your legal proceedings, helping you proactively seek the compensation you need while managing the procedural obstacles. Call us today for a consultation.