Days on the water can be fun for your whole family. However, when boaters go too fast, ignore no-wake zone signs, operate while drunk, or do anything else reckless or careless, they put themselves and everyone around them at risk of severe harm.
If someone else crashed into your boat, made you run aground, or did anything else that ended with you or a family member being hurt, seek legal counsel. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, a Blue Bell boat accident lawyer can take legal action against the wrongdoers and fight for the payments you deserve to make things right. We have helped over 30,000 victims in Pennsylvania recover compensation for serious injuries. We are prepared to fight like hell for you, too.
Whether your boating accident occurred at the Jersey shore, a PA or NJ lake, or another body of water, the lawyers at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can help you.
Holding Another Person Responsible for an Accident on the Water
Even if it leads to someone getting hurt, not every boating accident can be the basis for a lawsuit. For you to recover money through a settlement or a jury verdict, you and your boat accident lawyer will need to prove four things:
- The defendant—the person you are suing—had a responsibility to act a certain way, called a “duty of care”
- The defendant did not act the way they were supposed to and instead acted recklessly or carelessly
- By acting irresponsibly, the defendant directly caused an accident
- That accident was the direct cause of “damages” that you suffered, such as individual losses, like medical bills and physical pain and limitation
If all these things are true for your case, the defendant is “legally negligent.” Negligence is the legal theory that forms the basis for most personal injury lawsuits, as a Blue Bell boat accident attorney at our firm can explain.
What Boat Crash Losses Could You Be Paid For?
If you and your lawyer can prove that another person injured you by being “negligent,” that person must pay for the harm they caused to you. Depending on exactly how you were hurt and how long your injuries will last, losses that might play a role in your case might include:
- Pain and suffering
- All medical bills
- Boat repair costs
- Replacement of damaged personal property—for example, a lost phone
- Lost work wages
- Lost ability to work in the future
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Psychological problems like PTSD
Importantly, though, injured boat accident victims can be found negligent too. If a jury determines that you caused or worsened your own injuries, any percentage of total fault they assign to you could be taken out of your monetary award. This is one more reason why having one of our winning Blue Bell boat wreck lawyers on your side is so important to get a good case result.
Talk to a Blue Bell Boat Accident Attorney Today
No one should have to worry about getting seriously hurt when they take their boat out on one of Pennsylvania’s lakes or rivers. Unfortunately, not everyone who operates a boat here does it responsibly. Someone else’s reckless or careless behavior might cause you and your family a lot of pain you do not deserve.
At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, a seasoned Blue Bell boat accident lawyer will fight for you and your rights. Call today to discuss your options for free with one of our skilled attorneys.
