Every year, millions of Americans enjoy boating on our nation’s waterways. According to the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, (NASBLA), 12,875,568 vessels were registered in 2007, representing a one percent increase over 2006. Unfortunately, those number also represent the potential for boating accidents that cause injury, disability and death every year.
NASBLA’s 2007 National Recreational Boating Safety Program Executive Summary reports the following statistics:
The number of deaths dropped from 710 in 2006 to 685 in 2007
Other casualty figures increased:
- Accidents rose from 4967 to 5191
- Injuries rose from 3474 to 3673
- Damages rose from $43,670,424 to $53,106,496
Over two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, ninety percent were not wearing a life jacket. Three out of every four who drowned were boating on vessels less than twenty-one feet in length. Half of the sixteen children who died in boating accidents died from drowning.
Fourteen percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had
received boating safety instruction
The most common types of vessels involved in reported accidents were:
- Open motorboats (44%)
- Personal watercraft (24%)
- Cabin motorboats (15%)
The top five primary contributing factors in boating accidents are:
- Operator inattention
- Operator inexperience
- Careless/reckless operation
- Passenger/skier behavior
- Excessive speed
- Alcohol use ( the leading factor in accident and in 21% of all boating deaths)
Additional causes of boating accidents may include negligence in boat operation or maintenance, engine failure, defective instrumentation or boat parts, and improper or negligent equipment storage and baggage storage.
These statistics do not calculate personal and property damage that can occur on a boat due to someone’s violent behavior, injury or death while swimming or snorkeling in the water or diving from the boat, due to environmental issues or while the boat is docked. Actually, 65 people were injured and 36 lost their lives in 2007 in boating accidents that occurred while the boat was docked.
Obviously, for all its pleasures, boating presents a number of harmful or potentially dangerous situations that can cause untold misery for victims. Regardless of the reason for your accident or injury, you can consult with a qualified personal injury attorney to file a lawsuit for damages, which will help pay for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage and pain and suffering. Even for minor injuries, prompt medical evaluation is wise. Long-term physical and emotional results may not be apparent at the outset, and medical treatment may be needed beyond emergency treatment for immediate injuries. If a family member has lost their life in boating accident, you can file a wrongful death suit.
Although laws vary from state to state, a statute of limitations applies to filing a claim, so consulting with a personal injury attorney as quickly as possible is vital to ensuring your rights are protected. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Law Firm of Gary W. Starnes has provided experienced personal injury representation to since 1986.
