If I’m
involved in a boat accident, what should I do?
How common are
boating accident fatalities?
Are there safety
measures that I can take to prevent an accident?
How can
carbon monoxide poisoning occur on a boat?
What are
the most common boating accident injuries?
Do more accidents
occur in smaller boats?
What are the most
common causes of boating accidents?
What age group has
the highest incidence of boating fatalities?
What are common
boating accident contributing factors?
Under what
circumstances do I need to file a boating accident report and is there a time
frame in which I have to file the report?
Do boating
accidents cause a lot of financial damage?
If I’ve been in an
accident should I consult with an attorney?
What is The Jones
Act?
What is the definition of a “Seaman?”
What is “Maritime
Law?”
If I’m involved in a boat accident, what should I
do?
Remain on the scene, render aid, and report the accident. If
someone was injured or extensive property damage was incurred be sure to contact
your insurance company. If someone else was responsible for the collision, you
may want to contact an attorney.
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How common are boating
accident fatalities?
In 2000, more than 700 deaths occurred due to
boating accidents.
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Are
there safety measures that I can take to prevent an accident?
- Wear a life jacket
- Don’t drink alcohol while boating
- Take an educational boating course
- Be sure to regularly check your safety
equipment
- Be alert to the possibility of carbon monoxide
poisoning
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How can carbon
monoxide poisoning occur on a boat?
- Air conditioning powered by an onboard motor
generator
- Operation of any gasoline powered engine while
docked or rafted to other boats operating engines
- Improper cabin ventilation
- Use of stern swim platform while the engine and
exhaust are on
- Teak/drag surfing- holding on to the swim platform
while the boat is underway
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What are the most
common boating accident injuries?
Lacerations and broken bones.
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Do more accidents
occur in smaller boats?
Yes. 83% of fatalities in 2000 occurred on boats
which were less than 26 feet in length.
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What are the most
common causes of boating accidents?
Capsizing of the boat, falls off the
boat, collisions with other boats.
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What age group has the
highest incidence of boating fatalities?
Ages 34-39
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What are common
boating accident contributing factors?
Operator inattention,
inexperience, speed, carelessness, recklessness, alcohol, and bad
weather.
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Under what circumstances do I need to file a boating accident
report and is there a time frame in which I have to file the report?
You
must file a report if:
- A fatality occurs
- Someone is injured and requires medical treatment
beyond common first aid
- There is a complete loss of the boat or damage to
that exceeds $500
Boating Accident Reports are required to be filed
within:
- 48 hours of the occurrence or if a person dies
within one day following the accident
- 48 hours if a person is injured and medical
treatment beyond first aid is required
- 10 days if there is only property damage
involved
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Do boating accidents
cause a lot of financial damage?
According to the US Coast Guard, boating
accidents cause almost $30 million dollars in property damage each year.
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If I’ve been in an
accident should I consult with an attorney?
Yes. The laws that apply to
injuries that occur on and around the water are complex and there are several
questions that must be analyzed in order to correctly to determine the value of
a boating injury claim.
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What is The Jones
Act?
The Jones Act has special rules that protect seaman and make
recovery of certain damages and benefits easier.
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What is the definition
of a “Seaman?”
Basically, if you earn your living at sea, you are a
seaman. A person whose work is covered under the Longshore and Harbor Workers'
Compensation Act may be treated as a Jones Act seaman in some cases.
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What is “Maritime
Law?”
Maritime law, often called Admiralty law, is a set of legal rules
and practices governing the business of employment and transportation of people
and goods over or near navigable waters. To fall within maritime jurisdiction,
the act causing the accident must have occurred on "navigable waters." Navigable
waters is a legal term describing all waters which are capable of transporting
people or cargo between the states and other countries. Essentially it means the
waterway must be usable as a highway for interstate commerce.
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