How to Negotiate a Boat Accident Settlement
If you’re injured in a boating accident, you deserve compensation for your losses. Contact a local lawyer to discuss your claim.
An experienced attorney will be able uncover evidence and information you wouldn’t be able to discover on your own. This includes asset reports on boat owners and the results of any drug or alcohol tests that are administered to the operator and all personal and commercial insurance coverage.
Insurance Coverage
Depending on the type of boating accident you suffer, there is a range of insurance coverage that you could get. These policies can protect you from bodily injuries or property damage, legal defense and other potential costs. They are generally based on either an agreed value, or an actual cash value (ACV) loss settlement.
The bodily injury part of your insurance policy (also called protection and indemnity) covers any financial liability you may be liable for the damages suffered by third party due to their injuries or deaths. It also helps to cover the costs of a lawsuit filed against you.
Insurance for liability on watercraft is a different alternative. This insurance policy is designed to pay for repairs and replacements to other people’s docks, boats or personal items, if the boat owner is at fault. It is based upon compensation limits and can include an expense deductible.
A boating accident personal injury attorney can guide you through the insurance coverage that is appropriate for your specific situation. They can also assist you to recognize the differences between insurance providers and ensure that you have the best coverage. They can also negotiate on your behalf with the responsible party and their insurance company to ensure that you get fair compensation for your losses. It is also possible to avoid being pressured to accept a low-ball offer. This could save you thousands of dollars over the long term.
Negligence
Boat accidents can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as carelessness or recklessness, lack of experience, or simple mistakes. Even if the cause is something beyond your control, like an unexpected turn or bad weather, you may still seek financial compensation from the negligent party in a personal injury lawsuit.
Most likely, the party responsible for a boating accident is the operator of the vessel. This is especially the case when the driver was under the influence of alcohol or was not exercising reasonable caution. You can also claim other parties are liable for breach of duty, such as the owner of the boat Accident law Firm, for failure to perform routine maintenance and repair tasks, which led to the accident or the manufacturer of equipment or parts, or the lookout, if they failed alert passengers to potential hazards.
Determining who can be held responsible is an important step to pursue the settlement of a boating accident. You’ll need to go through all reports of the incident, take photos of the scene of the accident and your injuries, and speak with witnesses to gather the most evidence possible. Lawyers can assist you with subpoenas and other legal inquiries to gather the information. Your lawyer can help determine the value of your claim, and negotiate with insurers.
Damages
Anyone who suffers injuries or the loss of a loved one due to an accident on the water could face significant medical costs. Although health insurance might pay for the expenses an individual may need to seek compensation from the responsible party for their losses. An experienced lawyer will review any accountable parties and their insurance coverage to determine a fair settlement amount.
A boating accident could result from a variety. Your lawyer will examine the cause of the accident and attempt to prove it was due to someone’s negligence. This could involve actions like speeding, failing to maintain the boat accident attorney, operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs and not paying attention to weather or water conditions.
In a boating accident, there are both economic and non-economic damage. Economic damages include the cost of medical care as well as loss of income resulting from working absences, and property damage. Non-economic damages include disfigurement, pain and suffering. A good NYC lawyer for boating injuries will seek to maximize the compensation offered for these losses.
A lawyer could make a claim against the manufacturer of the boat or the water safety equipment if a defect played an important role in the accident. This type of lawsuit is called product liability. Your attorney will be able to review all evidence of the accident including witness testimony, accident report and video footage to prove the defendant’s liability.
Time Limits
If you’ve suffered injuries in a boating accident caused by negligence of another, it is important to act swiftly. There are often strict time limits for filing a lawsuit or claim also known as statutes or limitations. They vary by state and are contingent on the nature of the accident. The protection of your legal rights is only possible through an experienced maritime lawyer.
Even if you don’t think you’ve suffered serious injuries, you should seek medical treatment as soon as you can following a boating accident. Certain injuries, such as concussions and internal bleeding might not be apparent immediately. It is important, including the names and contact information of witnesses. It is also a good idea for you to capture pictures of any damage to property or boats and any injuries.
Our lawyers will investigate your accident thoroughly to identify the cause and responsible parties. We will then file a claim against the responsible parties, seeking maximum compensation. We will look at economic damages like the payment of medical bills and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment. We will also pursue punitive damages if the defendant has demonstrated the most serious of negligence or committed a crime.