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If you or a loved one was injured in a boating accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries and other related losses. Boating accidents can result in serious injuries leading to costly medical bills and lost wages from time missed from work during your recovery process. Pursuing financial damages can help to cover those losses and get your life back on track.
Our Erie boat accident lawyers are happy to provide initial advice about what you can claim during a free case review. If we can help, we provide our legal services on a no-win, no-fee basis, so there are no upfront fees to pay as we fund the cost of building and pursuing your case.
There are many reasons people get injured while boating, whether on holiday, recreationally or at work. To claim compensation, you or your lawyer will need to prove another person or business did not behave with reasonable care (meaning they were negligent) to hold them liable. However, managing a complex legal case while coping with your injuries can be overwhelming. So this is where we can step in and help by:
Our attorneys will be able to investigate the facts of your case to help you determine who is at fault for the boating accident. Liable parties can include boat owners, boat operators, boat and equipment manufacturers, or an employer. We can also gather the evidence needed to support your case from the investigation. Evidence can include photographs or video footage of the accident scene, reports from boating authorities, eyewitness testimony, medical records, and financial records.
As well as guiding you through the legal process and answering your questions, we will manage the bulk of your case administration and communication with other parties. This could include:
Proving the carelessness or negligence of the other party is a crucial part of the legal process in order to recover compensation. We will need to show:
In many cases, the fault between both parties is disputed. Other factors, such as complex insurance and maritime laws, can also apply to your case, so proving negligence is not always easy. This is where the assistance of our legal team can be beneficial.
To evaluate whether or not a settlement offer is fair, you will need to know the financial extent of your losses beforehand. In addition, you must consider any losses you may incur in the future due to ongoing medical bills or reduced earning capacity if your injuries impact your ability to work. Our Erie boat accident attorneys will evaluate every aspect of how the accident affected you and ensure all your losses are accounted for.
Once liability is established, insurance companies typically argue for a reduction in the amount claimed. This is because there is always scope for disagreement regarding damages such as pain and suffering, as they are not easily defined.
Further, the insurer will likely seek to protect its financial interests by paying out as little as possible. Our job is to protect your best interests in settlement negotiations. As such, we draw on over 40 years of experience in helping clients with their injury claims to arrive at the best outcome for you.
If the accident caused the loss of a loved one, close family members may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover financial damages. Work with an Erie boat accident attorney to understand more.
In 2021, the Coast Guard attended 4,439 accidents which caused 658 fatalities and 2,641 injuries, according to their most recent annual report. The following factors caused most boating accidents:
Victims of boating accidents can be injured in slip or fall accidents or if their boat collides with another vessel or fixed objects such as moorings. They can also fall overboard, resulting in serious injuries or worse.
The time limit for filing a boating accident personal injury claim is generally two years per Pennsylvania law per Pa. C.S.A. § 5524. After this it gets hard to pursue legal action so contacting a lawyer as soon as possible is ideal. At Berger and Green our Erie boat accident attorneys will work our hardest ensuring all of your deadlines are met well before they come up.
Pursuing compensation after being injured in a boating accident caused by someone else’s negligence can be challenging for you and your family. This is why we are here to help. To learn more about your legal options, schedule a free consultation with an Erie boat accident lawyer.