Helping Those Injured In Recreational Boating Accidents
While recreational boating remains as popular as ever, increasing congestion in the coastal waters, lakes and rivers of California can present serious hazards for the weekend sailor or bass boat operator.
If you have been injured in an accident involving any form of small craft or pleasure boat, you might have a personal injury claim under federal maritime law against the owner, the operator, a third party or even the government. To find out more about your rights, contact an experienced maritime lawyer at Brodsky Micklow Bull & Weiss LLP.
The Complex Nature Of Recreational Boating Claims
The interplay between state law and federal maritime law in small boat accidents can be extremely complicated. In certain wrongful death cases, it’s to the plaintiff’s advantage to bring the claim in state court and try to avoid federal admiralty jurisdiction. In other cases, federal maritime law will give you the best opportunity to receive full compensation for the entire range of your injuries and losses.
Either way, you need an experienced maritime injury attorney to evaluate all of your claims and your opponent’s defenses, such as the defense asserted where the owner of the speedboat that struck someone filed a petition for exoneration or limitation of liability under federal maritime law. If successful, the petitioning owner’s liability to you will be limited to the post-collision value of his boat. We can help you avoid that unfortunate result.
The Kinds Of Cases We Can Represent You In
We can advise and represent you in any of the following situations:
- Jet Ski or other personal watercraft injuries
- Propeller impact injuries
- Sailboat or motorboat collisions or other accidents
- Accidents involving alcohol or drunk boating
- Insurance disputes involving recreational watercraft or injuries
- Accidents caused by unseen or unmarked navigation hazards
- Accidents involving canoes, kayaks, rafts or other small recreational vessels
- Injuries from fires or explosions
Federal admiralty jurisdiction has little or nothing to do with the size of the craft involved in a recreational boating accident. Under certain circumstances, even a person injured while inner tubing on a river can find himself or herself a plaintiff against the federal government under the Suits in Admiralty Act.
Contact Our Law Firm
Schedule your free consultation online or for more information about what our close familiarity with maritime accident law can mean for your recreational boating case. Call us toll free at 855-272-5380.
