While Arizona is hardly known as a mecca for watersports, certain parts of Salt River—particularly the section referred to as “Tempe Town Lake”—provide some opportunities for Tempe locals to put small crafts out on the water. Unfortunately, this also means there are opportunities for irresponsible boaters to cause accidents which end up causing serious and sometimes even fatal injuries to themselves and others caught up in their misconduct.
If you have been injured in a collision between waterborne vessels or in any other kind of incident involving the negligent use or maintenance of a boat, you should make speaking with a Tempe boat accident lawyer one of your top priorities. From start to finish of your legal proceedings, your qualified personal injury attorney can make sure you follow all the procedural rules set by Arizona law and give yourself the best possible chances of recovering fairly for your damages.
Are Boat Accident Claims Different From Auto Accident Claims?
Although many people may be surprised to hear it, there actually are not that many differences in a practical sense between filing suit over a boating accident in Arizona and doing the same for a collision between motor vehicles on a public road. In both scenarios, liability for the accident and for ensuing injuries will almost always be based around the theory of negligence, which—as a Tempe boat injury attorney could explain in more detail as needed—allows injured people to demand compensation from anyone who caused them to get hurt by doing something reckless or careless in violation of a “duty of care.”
In a nutshell, the “duty of care” all boat operators owe to each other requires that they follow all applicable laws regarding boat operation in the body of water they are operating within. For example, this includes speed limits and no-wake zones—and the expectation to act responsibly at all times while in control of their craft. This means that even if someone keeps their boat on the right side of the proverbial—or literal—buoys at all times, they could still be liable for causing injury by operating under the influence, letting a person under 12 operate a powered vessel, or just not paying attention at exactly the wrong time.
Getting Around Common Obstacles to Recovery
Any person found liable for causing a boating accident can be made to pay for both economic and non-economic losses stemming from that accident, including:
- Medical bills
- Vessel repair/replacement costs and other forms of personal property damage
- Lost working ability and/or work income due to injuries
- Physical pain and suffering
- Psychological and emotional distress
- Lost overall quality of life and other effects of long-term disability
However, any percentage of “comparative fault” an injured person has assigned to them by a court based on their own negligence contributing to causing their injuries may be prohibited from recovering for the full value of their accident-related losses.
Additionally, Arizona state law generally gives injured people just two years at most to file suit after initially getting hurt through someone else’s negligence, regardless of where or how the incident actually happened. Representation from a knowledgeable lawyer can be crucial to making sure legal roadblocks like these do not unfairly get in the way of recovery efforts following a boat accident in Tempe.
Let Our Tempe Boat Accident Attorneys Help
Operating or riding in a watercraft can be dangerous even if everyone in your vessel is as responsible and law-abiding as can be. Even one negligent act by someone else on the water with you could lead to an accident with life-altering repercussions, as you may have unfortunately learned.
Demanding fair civil restitution after an incident like this with help from a Tempe boat accident lawyer could be key to protecting your best interests not just now, but for years into the future as well. Call today to schedule an initial consultation.
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