A day out on the lake is one of the best ways to enjoy the warm summer days in Colorado. The state’s beautiful mountain lakes and fishing holes provide plenty of opportunity for boaters and jet skiers to have some fun. Unfortunately, having so many boaters out in one place can quickly lead to an accident.
Every year, hundreds of people are seriously hurt in crashes on lakes and rivers. If this has happened to you or someone you love, you need a boating accident lawyer or jet ski accident attorney from McDivitt Law on your side. Our experienced legal professionals can help you win the compensation you need to pay for medical bills, pain and suffering, and more.
Helping Colorado Accident Victims for Over 50 Years
Our law firm has been fighting for severely injured Coloradans for more than 50 years. Our experienced team of boating accident attorneys understands Colorado’s boating laws and knows what it takes to hold careless boaters accountable.
Why You Need a Boating Accident Lawyer in Colorado
Boating accidents can be just as serious as car crashes and may cause severe injuries or even death. However, a lack of readily available accident footage and difficult-to-recover evidence makes it hard to assign liability. To gather the necessary evidence to prove negligence, you need the assistance of a boating accident attorney.
Additionally, watercraft laws differ from driving laws. A lawyer who specializes in this field knows the ways that boating laws will affect the outcome of your case. That’s why it’s so important to have an experienced watercraft accident attorney on your side, rather than a general personal injury lawyer.
Common Causes of Boating Accidents
Boating accidents can usually be traced back to one of the following causes:
- Intoxication: A day out on the lake is regularly accompanied by a cooler filled with the best craft brews Colorado has to offer. However, drinks can only be consumed by passengers, never the captain. It’s just as illegal to operate a boat while intoxicated as it is to drive a car after drinking.
- Operator inexperience: All but the most experienced boaters only use their watercraft a handful of times every year. Many more boaters only use rental crafts and have little experience at the helm. This relative lack of experience means that boaters are more likely to make mistakes regarding right of way, which can quickly lead to a boating accident.
- Distraction: Many boating trips involve a large group of people. In some cases, these groups can distract the boat operator. If the captain attempts to join in on group conversations and activities without anchoring the craft, they run the risk of causing a serious accident.
- Reckless operation: Sadly, some people don’t treat boats with the respect they deserve. As a result, people drive boats and jet skis at maximum speed without realizing how little control they have over a high-speed craft. Unfortunately, that lack of control becomes apparent when reckless operation leads to a deadly crash.
- Maintenance issues: Many boats sit in garages, docks, and storage facilities for 75% of the year or more. Even worse, some owners don’t do regular maintenance checks whenever they remove their craft from storage. If some piece of the boat deteriorated while not in use, it could break on the water and cause a major crash.
Who Can Be Held Responsible in a Colorado Boating Accident
Several parties can be held responsible for a watercraft accident, including:
- The boat operator
- A rental company
- The boat manufacturer
- Event organizers
Determining who is responsible requires a careful investigation of the crash. Your boating accident attorney will thoroughly review witness statements, physical evidence, and crash scene photos to determine who is liable.
What Your Settlement Could Cover
A successful boating or jet ski accident claim can help pay for all the ways the crash affected your life. This includes:
- Emergency care and hospital bills
- Surgeries and future medical treatments
- Physical therapy and rehab
- Lost wages or loss of job
- Pain and suffering
- Mental health treatment
- Medical equipment like braces or wheelchairs
A jet ski accident attorney from our team will work to include every applicable damage to your final compensation. We won’t settle for less than what you truly need to recover.
Injured in a Boating or Jet Ski Accident? Call Us Today.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a boating or jet ski crash, don’t wait. Evidence can disappear quickly after an accident and compromise your ability to fight a winning case.
Schedule a free consultation with one of our Colorado boating accident attorneys. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and start fighting for the money you need to heal.
