San Diego Maritime Accident Lawyer
12.5 million personal watercraft are registered in the United States. Of those, over 8,000 maritime accidents occur each year, with over half of those resulting in serious injuries or death. In addition, 10% of all boating accidents in the United States include fatalities.
Maritime law is complicated and confusing, encompassing a hodgepodge of local, state, and national laws & regulations. A skilled and experienced maritime accident attorney is as good as gold when filing a claim.
There are many types of maritime accidents:
- Impact with other boats
- Collisions with rocks or land
- Impact with other personal property (docks, etc)
- Passengers or drivers falling overboard
- Capsizing of the watercraft
- Fires or explosions
- Watercraft sinking
What to do if involved in a serious maritime accident in California:
- If you are seriously injured, cannot stop the bleeding, or are having trouble remaining conscious, get immediate medical attention. Call 911 as soon as possible.
- If the boat’s operator or driver has become seriously injured, unconscious, or unable to drive the boat, attempt to control the craft. If this is impossible, radio the Coast Guard for assistance. Especially at high speeds, an unmanned boat could easily crash into other boats or objects, resulting in high casualty counts.
- If the watercraft is sinking, help obtain life preservers or life jackets for passengers and crew. Boats are required to carry enough for a full passenger list, and should be easily-accessible.
- Once the boat is controlled, assert whether other passengers are in need of medical attention.
- If this has not yet been done, contact the US Coast Guard as soon as possible. Try to give you location, status, and how many passengers require medical attention.
- If involved in a collision with another watercraft, exchange names, contact information, license number, insurance policy number, and insurance provider.
- Contact an experienced serious maritime accident attorney as soon as possible to make your claim.