What Kinds of Maryland Boat Accidents Qualify for a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Just like the many different kinds of personal injury lawsuits filed every year in courts all across Maryland, accidents involving speedboats, fishing boats, sailboats, personal watercraft (such as Jet Ski, Sea-Doo and WaveRunner models), or any other negligence-related marine accident concerning one or more watercraft most likely could result in a personal injury claim against the responsible party(s).

This is most especially the case where it can be shown that the injuries to, or death of the victim was a direct result of another individual’s reckless disregard for the victim, often caused by negligent operation of a boat on a Maryland waterway.

Maryland has more than 7,000 miles of coastline, which encompass the many lakes, bays and inland waterways used for boating, sailing and fishing. With such a large opportunity to enjoy watercraft activities throughout the state, it shouldn’t be surprising that accidents can and do take place during the warmer months of the year. Some of the more common incidents include:

• Single and multiple boat collisions resulting in bodily injury
• Running aground on objects just below the water’s surface
• Collisions with buoys and other floating objects with resultant head injuries
• Capsizing of watercraft resulting in drowning deaths
• Crew and passengers who fall overboard due to poor boat operation
• Sinkings due to malfunctioning bilge pumps or other faulty equipment

Maryland residents, as well as visitors to our state, are drawn to our vast number of waterways using every manner of watercraft, from sea kayaks and Jet Skis to bass boats and cabin cruisers to take in the beauty of the local area. Sadly, because of the increasing popularity of recreational boating, the accident risk across all of Maryland’s waterways has also increased. Based on information collected by Maryland’s Natural Resources Police (NRP), water-related injuries and deaths are at some of the highest levels in several decades, which only points up the need for caution when traveling Maryland’s scenic waterways.

As Maryland boating accident attorneys, the legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC, understands the allure of boating, on both inland lakes and rivers as well as offshore. But, as attractive as this pastime can be, safety should always be the overriding concern on the minds of captains and passengers alike. A boating accident can often result in serious or fatal injury and it only takes one careless action to put numerous people in peril.

Furthermore, because fishing boats, powerboats, sailboats, and especially smaller personal watercraft are not subject to the same strict safety regulations that govern automobile and truck manufacture, these vessels may have unknown design flaws or manufacturing faults that are not always evident until something tragic occurs. As a result, these recreational machines and watercraft do have the potential to cause injury or death.

As Maryland boat accident lawyers, we know the cause of many boating accidents can result from anything from simple negligence to boating under the influence (BUI, for short). Although most boat owners and operators undergo rigorous training in order to understand how to operate their vessels safely, there is still a need for all boat operators to exercise maximum caution so that other boaters, their passengers, swimmers, and anyone else they encounter on the water remains safe and free from serious bodily harm.

When a negligence-related boating accident does occur, our staff has the legal background and litigation experience to help victims recover damages from those responsible. Depending on where the particular boat accident took place — as well as which individuals were involved and other specifics of the incident — the case may fall under one or several maritime laws.

Since lawsuits arising from injury accidents on Maryland waterways are usually governed, in whole or in part, by federal maritime statutes the legal strategy of a boating-related personal injury lawsuit will likely differ from that of an automobile or motorcycle accident case. At Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC, our seasoned personal injury attorneys are knowledgeable in the area of maritime law and can assist victims of Maryland boating accidents.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious bodily injury resulting from a negligence-based boat accident, we urge you to contact our law offices to arrange for a free, no-obligation legal consult with one of our Maryland personal injury professionals. We have helped guide many injury accident victims through what can often be a complex legal process to recover the damages they rightfully deserve under the laws of the State of Maryland. We can assist you and your family in understanding your legal rights and attaining the financial compensation you deserve.