Chicago Boat Accident Lawyer

Just like any other accident, personal injury, or death claim, there are a few guidelines to follow to begin the claim process:

1. First and foremost, the most important step is to get appropriate medical care. Do not hesitate to call for help. This includes for yourself, your passengers, or people on the other boat or vehicle. Even if injuries appear to be minor, you need a medical professional to check everyone over. Sometimes injuries don’t appear serious until the adrenaline wears off. If you, your passengers, or anyone else involved in the crash is injured or even potentially injured, the priority has to be on the health of human beings. Sometimes immediate treatment is the difference between a small treatable injury and a more serious one down the road. Your health and the health of your passengers and others involved is the most important thing to focus on.
2. Call 911 and report the accident to the emergency operator. The operator will make sure that the appropriate emergency services are contacted and/or dispatched to the accident location, as well as ensure that a full report of the accident is documented. This report is necessary for many parties, including insurance companies, court reporting, attorneys, and police.
3. Exchange contact information with the other water travel vehicle operator involved in the accident. Also, be sure to get the names and contact information of all passengers involved in the accident.
4. Get the contact information of any witnesses that may have observed what happened. Witnesses can be crucial in proving fault through the legal process.
5. Examine the physical damage to your property and document any damages that occurred from the accident. Take good photos of damages to your boat or vessel and to any other water vehicles involved.
6. Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as you are safe and able to do so.
7. Per Illinois state law, file a government report with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) if there was an injury that required more than first aid, a death, or the total property damage is $2,000 or more. This report must be filed within 5 days of the incident.
8. Hold off on repairing any damage to your property until the attorneys and insurance companies have all of the information it needs. Wait to perform any repairs.
9. Contact a reputable law firm to discuss the appropriate steps in the claims process. We can help you through this confusing process.

One of the most common mistakes made when discussing a boat accident is that a driver on a ship or boat feels that they should not blame a friend or family member for the accident, even if they are clearly at fault for the accident. Sometimes boat passengers get rowdy. It happens.

The most important thing to remember is this: Do not ignore any medical symptoms or injuries to anyone involved in the boating accident. Ignoring or putting off medical treatment is a dangerous roll of the dice. Oftentimes, injuries don’t seem very serious immediately after an accident, but that doesn’t mean that they are not serious! Sometimes injuries turn into much more serious problems if not treated as soon as possible.

Understanding wrongful death claims is difficult, due both to the complexity of the situation and the emotions involved in losing someone you care about. Because it is a complicated process, a professional law firm with experience in wrongful death cases is your best bet for guidance. You aren’t expected to know how to bring an injury or death case to court… which is why you need to work with an attorney that knows the process.

Protect your rights by hiring the best boat accident attorney

When it comes to law cases involving boat accidents, you need the best when it comes to choosing a lawyer. Experience with boat accident cases is very important because they can be very complex. Having an experienced attorney beside you is the best way to protect your rights and ensure fair financial compensation.

The key to winning a lawsuit when boating negligence is involved is to prove fault. If the other water vehicle operator was responsible for the accident, that responsibility can be demonstrated in court by an experienced lawyer. Your lawyer will work to prove to the court that the injuries, death, and/or property damages that occurred because of the crash were caused by someone’s negligence. Your lawyer will work to prove that the other party failed to act with reasonable care, which caused the accident to occur.

Illinois law states that a boat driver involved in a boat accident is required to:

• Immediately stop at the scene to check for damages or injuries to the other party and his/her boat or watercraft.
• Help anyone who appears to be injured or in danger, providing that it doesn’t risk your own personal safety.
• Collect the driver’s name, address, and information on the boat, along with information about the damage to either boat. This process has to be submitted in writing to any person who was injured, and to the owner of any property that was damaged as a result of the accident.

Have you or a loved one been hurt in a Boat Accident?

The party/parties considered liable and at fault for a recreational boat accident bear the legal responsibility for the accident. Liability can belong to one or several different parties, depending upon the situation. Did the accident occur due to a mechanical failure? Did it occur because a boat captain was impaired or made a judgment mistake? Did it happen because a passenger decided to cannonball off the side of a moving boat?

According to Illinois law, any accidents that have resulted in serious injury or death must be reported to the IDNR within 48 hours of the collision. If a person has disappeared or been injured, those injuries must be reported within 5 days.

Besides the obvious fact that boating accidents occur on the water and motor vehicle accidents occur on land, boating accidents have other distinct differences from other vehicle accidents.

• The rules of operation for a watercraft vehicle differ because of the lack of driving lanes and traffic lights or signs. There are no actual driving lanes on the water like there are on the roads.
• Boating accidents are bound by maritime law, which is different from traditional state and federal laws pertaining to motor vehicles.

Collisions top the chart when it comes to the most common types of boating accidents. Collisions can include either colliding with another water vehicle or a stationary object, such as a dock, or running aground.

Other types of boating accidents sometimes happen due to:

• Driver inattention or recklessness
• Driver inexperience
• Environmental causes, such as high waves, large rocks, sandbars, or bad weather
• High speeds
• Hitting another boat’s wake
• Impairment due to alcohol or drugs
• Mechanical failure of the boat or watercraft
• Lack of safety equipment onboard such as life jackets, flares, a fire extinguisher, etc.
• A person falling overboard

Boating accident lawsuit compensations vary greatly depending upon the unique circumstances of the accident, if there were injuries or death, or if there was property damage. Other factors include permanent disabilities or lack of mobility, as well as many other important details.

Several parties can be included in the liability for a boating accident, such as:

• The boat driver/operator
• The boat owner or manufacturer
• A passenger on either watercraft
• The company that designed and built bad replacement parts
• If the boat was a rental, the boat rental company

When a boating accident occurs, there are certain injuries that are more common than others. These include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Cuts and lacerations
• Spinal cord damage
• Accidental drowning
• Burns
• Loss of appendages such as an arm or a leg
• Bone and ligament injuries
• Emotional and psychological damage such as PTSD

Although the statistics vary from year-to-year, the following bodies of water have the most boating accidents recorded.

From the highest number of incidents to the lowest:

1. Illinois River
2. Lake Michigan
3. Mississippi River
4. Fox River
5. Kankakee River
6. Clinton Lake
7. Lake Decatur
8. Rock River
9. Lake Holiday
10. Lake Shelbyville

Having an attorney in your corner definitely increases the dollar amounts for either settlements or court cases. The payout can typically be up to 40% higher when you have an attorney that is experienced in personal injury or wrongful death boat accident cases. Our skilled lawyers will save you a lot of worry and anxiety.