Rockville Boat Accident Lawyer
A day out on the water is usually enjoyable for everyone involved, whether you want to lounge on your vessel’s deck or get your heart racing through watersports or by joyriding a personal watercraft. Just like motor vehicle drivers, though, boat operators have a responsibility to follow all applicable state laws and look out for other people around them while in motion—and if they fail to do so, serious injury can and often does result.
Working with a Rockville boat accident lawyer could be essential to preserving your future prospects after an accident caused by someone else negligently operating a watercraft. In addition to helping you prove liability for your injuries, a capable personal injury attorney might be your most crucial ally when it comes to demanding fair financial restitution through either settlement negotiations or a lawsuit in civil court.
How Negligence Could Lead to a Boat Crash
Once someone gets underway from a dock, port, or any other launching point for a waterborne vessel, they take an implicit “duty” to watch out for their fellow boaters and take reasonable measures to prevent causing anyone else harm. This duty applies in different ways to both other people on the water and to a boat operator’s passengers—for example, under state law, operators of vessels shorter than 21 feet in length must ensure that passengers under the age of 13 wear a suitable lifejacket at all times while on board.
If a boat operator instead chooses to act recklessly or careless by violating state law, not paying attention to their surroundings, or simply letting their concentration lapse for a moment, they have “breached” the duty they assumed. If a breach of duty then directly leads to an accident occurring, the boat operator would be considered “negligent” and therefore could bear financial liability for any harm that ensues.
Various kinds of evidence—from police reports to eyewitness testimony to physical debris from an accident scene—may be necessary to establish that a specific person’s failure to fulfill a duty of care was the primary and direct cause of injuries related to a boat collision. A seasoned Rockville boat crash attorney could provide much-needed assistance with collecting, preserving, and effectively presenting the information necessary to prove fault for an incident.
Recoverable Damages through a Successful Claim
Successful boat accident cases could allow an injured person to recover for economic and non-economic repercussions of their injuries, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning capacity
- Personal property damage, including vessel repair/replacement costs
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Physical and emotional pain
Importantly, though, Maryland Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings §3-2A-09 sets a cap on how much money any one personal injury plaintiff may recover for non-economic damages. As a boat accident lawyer in Rockville could clarify in more detail, the applicable cap for incidents that occur after October 1, 2021 is $905,000, with an increase of $15,000 scheduled to occur every year on that date.
Get in Touch with a Rockville Boat Accident Attorney Today
Thanks to the ever-present risk of drowning and the relative lack of protection that vessel occupants have from external impacts, boat accidents can often be even more dangerous and potentially deadly than auto accidents that occur at similar speeds. Because of that, comprehensive civil recovery can be especially important for anyone who gets hurt on the water because of another boater’s misconduct.
A knowledgeable Rockville boat accident lawyer could provide custom-tailored advice and support throughout every stage of your legal proceedings. Schedule your initial consultation today.
