Given how much softer an impact against water usually is compared to one against asphalt or concrete, you would be forgiven for assuming that boat accidents are broadly less dangerous than auto accidents. In reality, however, both types of accidents can very easily lead to serious or even life-threatening injuries, especially when they stem from someone else nearby acting in a grossly irresponsible or illegal way.
Fortunately, you have the same right to retain a personal injury attorney and file suit over a boat accident that you do to sue over a car crash, provided that you can prove someone else directly at fault for the incident happening in the first place. If you want to do that efficiently and maximize your chances of getting paid what you deserve, you should make contacting a Flagstaff boat accident lawyer from Phillips Law Group one of your top priorities.
What Does Negligence on the Water Look Like?
In a lot of ways, “negligence” — the legal term for a reckless, careless, and/or illegal violation of a “duty of care” that directly causes another person to sustain an otherwise avoidable injury — while operating a boat looks like a lot like negligence while driving a standard motor vehicle on land. People driving on public highways and people out in “navigable waterways” both must follow local speed limits, drive carefully around other vessels and people, and generally act responsibly and safely at all times.
Accordingly, some of the more common causes of boating accidents in the Grand Canyon State and elsewhere include:
- Going too fast for conditions, especially in “no-wake zones”
- Navigating the wrong way around buoys and other markers
- Operating a boat without proper experience, training, or supervision
- Operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol
A Flagstaff boat accident attorney can help take proactive legal action over injuries caused by these and various other forms of misconduct away from land.
Recovering Fairly Within Filing Deadlines
Anyone found legally liable for injuries stemming from a boating accident can be held financially accountable for every economic and non-economic loss the injured person will experience because of that accident. Importantly, it is also possible to recover for expected future losses in addition to losses that have already occurred at the time the filing process begins — for example, the costs of both emergency medical treatment received immediately after the accident and long-term treatment like physical therapy and maintenance care which will be necessary in the months and years to come.
Even if a boat injury does have long-lasting consequences, though, most people injured in this way or any other way through someone else’s negligence have two years at most under Arizona Revised Statutes §12-542 to file suit. This is just one reason among many why it is important to contact a dependable boat accident lawyer in Flagstaff as soon as possible after the accident first happens.
Speak With a Flagstaff Boat Accident Attorney About Your Legal Options
Accidents out on the water involving boats and/or other types of personal watercraft can be just as dangerous, if not even more so, than collisions between motor vehicles on land. They can also be uniquely hard to effectively file suit over, especially if there is not a great deal of evidence establishing exactly who was to blame for the incident and exactly what compensation you need to make up for your ensuing losses.
In a situation like this, the quality of legal counsel you have on your side can make a massive difference not just in how much money you ultimately receive, but often in whether you get paid anything at all. Call now to speak with a member of our team and learn how a Flagstaff boat accident lawyer from Phillips Law Group can help you enforce your rights.
With over 30 years serving the local community, we are confident we can provide you with the insight you need to determine your next steps. Please do not hesitate to reach out today – we look forward to hearing from you!
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