Atlanta Boating Accident Lawyers

Were you injured while on the water in Georgia? At Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of boating accident claims. Whether you were water skiing, on a Jet Ski, or WaveRunner, enjoying a leisurely outing in a kayak, or out on a friend’s sailboat, you rightfully expect to return to land safely.

Unfortunately, many people act carelessly while they are out on the water. People often entertain groups of folks on their boats and become intoxicated. Others operate their boats far above the speed limit without considering the consequences. If you’re out on the water, you could be seriously injured by one of these reckless individuals in the blink of an eye.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a boat or water accident, we highly recommend that you contact a boating accident attorney. Our team of Atlanta injury lawyers will collect evidence on your behalf, handle all settlement negotiations for you and represent you at trial if the insurance company does not offer you fair compensation.

Contact us online, or call (404) 939-9470 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your rights.

Types of Boat Accidents

Our boating accident attorneys handle all types of marine and boat cases, including:

Boat Collisions

One common type of boating accident occurs when two or more boats collide. Typically, at least one of the boats is violating the rules of the water at the moment of impact. For instance, one boat may have failed to yield the right of way to the other boat. The boat operator’s carelessness makes them liable for any injuries that were proximately caused by their misconduct. If you suffered injuries in a boat collision, call our boat accident attorneys right away.

Boat Propeller Accidents

Boat propeller injuries are often catastrophic or fatal. Our boat injury lawyers have handled cases in which boat operators reversed their boats without looking behind them and seriously injured a swimmer or snorkeler.

Jet Ski Accidents

We often receive calls about Jet Skis, WaveRunners, and other personal watercraft accidents. Many of the latest models of these watercraft can travel in excess of 70 miles per hour. Because these vehicles move dangerously fast and they are often operated by people without any training, they are commonly involved in serious incidents. If you were hurt while riding a Jet Ski, WaveRunner, personal watercraft or in a collision involving those vehicles that another person caused, do not hesitate to call us.

Water Tubing Accidents

Every year, many people in Georgia go tubing on rivers, lakes, and off the coast. Often, these personal tubes are pulled by a motorboat at a high rate of speed. If the boat operator is careless, he or she can cause a devastating accident that catastrophically injures or kills the tube rider. If you or a loved one was harmed in a water tubing incident, contact our Atlanta boating accidents attorneys immediately.

Water Skiing and Wake Boarding Accidents

Water skiing and wakeboarding, like water tubing, are high-risk sports. If the boat operator fails to obey the rules of the water, the skier or wake boarder may be ejected from their skis or wakeboard and collide with an object, such as another boat, a dock, buoy, or depth marker. If you were injured or lost a loved one in a water-skiing or wakeboarding accident, you should contact a boating accident attorney to learn about your potential legal remedies.

Drownings

Drowning is one of the most critical boating risks. Inhalation of water or lack of oxygen to the body can cause debilitating injuries or death. If your loved one was permanently injured or killed in drowning accident, contact Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers immediately.

Boating Laws That May Apply to Accidents

When you contact Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, we will thoroughly investigate how the boating accident occurred. Then, we will evaluate whether the boat operator that injured you violated any maritime laws or rules of the water. For instance, we will consider whether the vessel was properly registered, whether it was over capacity, and if it had the legally required safety equipment. Next, we will evaluate whether the boat operator was qualified to operate the boat and whether the boat operator was impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Who Can Operate a Boat in Georgia?

Georgia allows children under 12-years-old to operate vessels less than 16 feet long, and watercraft of the same size that are either non-motorized or powered by a motor with less than 30 horsepower (when an adult accompanies them). Children between 12 and 15 years old may legally operate a vessel less than 16 feet long if they have passed a boat education course, or if a competent adult accompanies them. Adolescents 15 years and younger cannot operate vessels over 16 ft long. Anyone 16 years and older may operate vessels on Georgia’s waters with proper identification. Operators born after January 1, 1998 must pass a boater education course.

If the vessel was operated illegally by someone that was too young or unsupervised, or someone that had not passed the appropriate course, the boat operator was negligent. If that boat operator’s negligence caused your injuries, you are entitled to recover just compensation to make you whole for your losses. Contact our legal team at Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers to learn more about how to prove your claim. (404) 939-9470.

Boating Under the Influence (BUI)

It is illegal for someone to operate a boat while impaired due to drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, many boat operators drink excessively while entertaining friends and family on their boats. As your lawyer, we will investigate whether the operator was intoxicated. If the operator was under 21-years-old, then the legal limit is a .02 percent blood alcohol level. For an operator who was 21 years or older, the limit is .08 percent.

Additionally, if drugs are detected in the boat operator’s system, the operator may be guilty of a BUI without any detectable amount of alcohol in their system. If there is evidence of a controlled substance, an intoxicating prescription, or over-the-counter medication, we may be able to use this as evidence to prove that the boat operator was negligent.

Georgia Boating Accident Statistics

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, there were 135 boating incidents in 2017. These incidents led to 15 boating fatalities and 63 boating injuries. There were also 63 drownings. There were even 189 reported BUI offenses.

If you were injured in a boating accident in Georgia, or your loved one lost his or her life, do not hesitate to call our boating accident legal team at Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers. We have handled the boat and other water-related accident claims for decades. We will help you pursue fair compensation for your injuries.

Boat Accident Compensation

The financial repercussions of a boating accident are daunting. You may be unable to work for an extended period of time. Your health insurance may not cover all of your medical bills. You may need long-term medical care. Those concerns may worry you so much that you don’t focus upon healing from your injuries.

We will fight for you to obtain fair compensation for your physical, psychological, and financial injuries. That way, you can devote all of your physical and mental energy to recovering from your injuries. The types of damages that we will help you recover include:

• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
• Past, present, and future medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Disability or disfigurement
• Damage to your property

Call a Boating Accident Attorney for Help

When you are suffering from injuries due to a boat or water accident, or you are mourning the loss of a loved one, do not hesitate to call Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers. Our personal injury and wrongful death attorneys are glad to answer all of the pressing questions that you have right now. If you hire our firm, we will put our knowledge, experience, and resources to work for you and your family so that your case does not suffer while you care for yourself or your loved one.

Schedule a free consultation by calling us at (404) 939-9470, or reaching out through our online form.