Boating Accidents

Each year thousands of people are injured and hundreds of people are killed in boating accidents.  Boating and personal watercraft accidents often occur due to negligence.  They can result in serious and sometimes deadly injuries.  These accidents can happen on a privately-owned boat, a cruise ship, a jet ski, a ferry or other types of watercraft.  Regardless of the type of boating accident you or a loved one may have been involved in, contacting a Seattle boating accident attorney at Wattel & York, Attorneys at Law, can help you recover any damages lost as a result of the accident.

In 2009, there were 736 boating accident fatalities and 3,358 injury accidents arising from 4,730 recreational boating accidents in the United States.  Shockingly, America’s waterways are second only to highways in terms of the number of accidental deaths occurring on them.  In Washington State, there were 111 boating accidents in 2009 which was higher than the three previous years that saw 96, 97 and 98 accidents.  There were 22 fatalities in the state.

The major causes of recreational boating accidents are operator inattention, careless/reckless boat operation, excessive speed, inappropriate passenger/skier behavior, alcohol, and improper lookout.  These negligent acts and others cause boats to capsize or collide.  Collision with another vessel is the most common type of accident involving open motorboats.  The result of a collision or capsize may be flooding, fire and explosion.  When boat operators are careless, skiers may be struck by propellers or the vessels towing them.  Passengers may fall overboard.  From time to time, negligently designed boats and defective boating equipment can also cause accidents which give rise to claims against manufacturers.  If you or a loved one has been injured because of the fault of another persons negligence or because of faulty equipment, you are entitled to compensation for those injuries.  The Seattle boat accident attorney’s at Wattel & York, Attorneys At Law, have years of experience in representing clients who were seriously injured while boating and can help you receive the compensation you deserve.  Call today for a free legal consultation at 877-572-4143.

The boating accident attorneys at Wattel & York have experience investigating boating accidents and evaluating the validity of claims that arise from them.  Some important questions they focus on answering which may determine the validity of your case include, but are not limited to:

• Was the defendant operator of the boat intoxicated at the time of the accident?
• Was he operating his boat at an excessive speed for the circumstances and conditions?
• Was he in compliance with Washington Administrative Code regulations regarding the safe operation of a watercraft?

Federal law requires that victims of boating accidents file a report with the nearest state boating authority.  The Code of Regulations requires a boating accident report to be filed within 48 hours of the occurrence of any of the following kinds of incidents:

• A fatality that occurs within 24 hours of the accident
• A person’s injury that requires medical attention beyond first aid
• Damage to the vessel that results in more than $2,000, or in the vessel’s total loss
• A person disappearance from a vessel under circumstances that point to death or injury

If you or a loved one are the victim of a boating accident, consult attorneys trained in the rules and regulations governing boating accidents.  At Wattel & York, Attorneys At Law, we have extensive experience handling boating accident cases.  Our attorneys take every necessary step to investigate the possible causes of your accident so that you receive full compensation for any pain and suffering.  Call today at 877-572-4143 to set up a free case evaluation.  We serve Seattle, Tacoma, and the entire State of Washington.