Harker Heights Boat Accident Lawyer
Boating on the lakes and streams around Harker Heights is a favorite activity of many local residents. Whether you enjoy fishing, sailing, waterskiing, or riding personal watercraft, the area offers splendid opportunities to get out on the water.
Sometimes, however, what should be a relaxing day turns into a disaster. Not all boaters take proper care, and boating accidents are common. They can produce severe injuries, including near-drowning, amputations, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, burns, and fractures.
When negligence contributes to an accident, the negligent party could owe money damages to anyone they injured. If you were hurt in an accident involving a boat, it is a good idea to consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. They could explain your rights and help you hold the negligent parties accountable.
Negligence Causes Boat Accidents
Negligence means simply that someone was not as careful as a reasonable person would have been in similar circumstances. If the negligence results in an injury, the injured person could seek compensation from the negligent person.
Negligence is at the root of most accidents, including accidents on boats. A seasoned attorney could investigate an accident to identify all the potentially negligent parties. There are often multiple causes of an accident, including multiple instances of negligence.
Many common causes of boat accidents are similar to the causes of car accidents:
- Operating a boat while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Lack of attentiveness
- Excessive speed
- Reckless operation
- Inexperienced or untrained captain
- Failure to adapt to weather conditions
- Mechanical failure
When a boat is being operated negligently it might collide with another vessel, a dock, or some other obstacle. It could take on water and capsize or sink. Fires can break out, with devastating consequences to the passengers if help is not nearby.
Seeking Compensatory Damages After a Boat Accident
A lawyer representing an injured plaintiff will work to secure money damages for their client. The damages should compensate the plaintiff for all the losses they suffered due to the defendant’s negligence. The plaintiff must present evidence documenting their expenses and demonstrating the unwelcome changes in their life since the accident.
Compensatory damages could include reimbursement for medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and future losses like ongoing needs for medical care. If the injury has left the plaintiff unable to return to their job, a defendant might be liable for the difference between the salary the plaintiff once earned and the income they might make in the future.
Defendants also could be liable for diminishing the plaintiff’s quality of life. Depending on the specifics of a case, a defendant might pay damages for a plaintiff’s pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of companionship, and other impairments to the plaintiff’s ability to enjoy life.
Deadline to File a Claim
Unlike car accidents, law enforcement is not always readily available to respond to a boat accident. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Code §31.105 requires boaters to report accidents if there are injuries or property damage, but it gives them 30 days to do it. By that time, much relevant evidence might be lost.
An injured boater is wise to make an accident report as soon as possible and seek legal representation immediately. The attorney could conduct an investigation and demand that involved parties preserve evidence. This action will help safeguard the plaintiff’s ability to prove their case later if a lawsuit becomes necessary.
Get an Experienced Harker Heights Boat Accident Attorney to Handle Your Case
When you and your family are reeling from the effects of a serious injury, you should not be trying to settle financial matters with negligent people and their insurance companies. It is a savvy move to bring a knowledgeable advocate on board to handle the investigation and negotiations for you.
Contact a Harker Heights boat accident lawyer to discuss your options for holding the negligent parties accountable and getting the compensation you deserve. The sooner you get legal representation, the better the chances for a fair and appropriate outcome. Call today.
