Boat Accidents Lawyer in Savannah, GA
On the lakes and waterways of Savannah, GA, there are many types of boating accidents, including one-craft and two-craft collisions, collisions with smaller pieces of water equipment, such as jet skis, and large-scale boating accidents.
Accidents involving personal boats are often caused by:
- Inexperienced drivers
- Alcohol
- Mechanical failure
Many types of boats may be operated without any type of certification or license in Savannah, GA, like in most states. When certification is needed, the driver must complete an online boating safety course, which does not require actual boating experience or observation of the driver’s skills.
A boat accident lawyer in Savannah GA can help
Get legal advice from an experienced boat accident lawyer in Savannah GA before taking any further steps if you’ve been injured in a boating accident. Thomas Hunter’s personal injury lawyers have helped our clients recover significant sums of money.
Boating accidents caused by negligence
In all kinds of personal injury cases, you must prove that the person or entity was at fault for your injuries by showing that:
- Had a duty of care to you
- Breached that duty
- By breaching that duty, caused the accident, and
- Caused your injury
It is necessary to prove that you suffered damages as a result. An accident involving a boat may cause the following types of damage:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
A boating accident case involving mechanical failure
Boating accidents sometimes involve mechanical failure, whether it’s from a personal watercraft crash to a ferry accident. Often, boating accidents occur due to negligent operation, but they may also occur because of defective equipment or negligent maintenance.
If a manufacturer or another party is responsible for your boating accident, we may work with engineers and other highly qualified individuals to establish the cause of the accident.
Liability in a Boating Accident
In a boating accident case, gathering evidence and reconstructing the accident may be more difficult than in a car accident or other land accident case. Complications arise because:
- Unlike an automobile accident in a city, there may be fewer witnesses to a boating accident, and they may be more difficult to identify
- A video recording from a cell phone or video from a neighboring business is less likely to be found
- It is not possible to reconstruct an accident from skid marks or adjacent property damage
In determining the cause of a boating accident, an extensive investigation and discovery may be required, which may include:
- Recovering sunken wreckage from the involved vessels
- Identifying any witnesses and collecting their statements
- Results of drug and alcohol testing for drivers
How to prove damages after a boating accident
Extensive evidence may be required to establish liability. In addition, we need to prove injuries and damages. During the course of your case, we will gather information such as:
- Statements from treating physicians and medical records
- Costs of medical care to date and projected future costs
- Expenses associated with your injuries, such as assistance or equipment
- Lost wages so far and projected losses in the future
- Valuation of damaged property