Just like most places bordering the Delaware River, Pennsauken Township sees plenty of commercial and private boat traffic, most of which comes and goes without any issue. However, a moment of recklessness or carelessness by a boater can lead to a serious accident, much like it could for a motor vehicle driver on land. Boat collisions can be more complex and dangerous than car crashes in more ways than one.
You have a right to seek help from a personal injury attorney and take legal action against any person whose negligent operation or maintenance of a watercraft leads to you suffering an avoidable injury. If you want a fair shot at getting financial recovery for your injury, you need help from a Pennsauken boat accident lawyer who is well-known for winning cases like this many times in the past.
Boat Operation Laws
As long as you’re in navigable waters, you’re subject to the rules and restrictions placed on boaters by New Jersey state law. Powered vessels can only be operated by boaters over the age of 13 who have completed a boating safety course and, once they’ve turned 16, obtained a boating safety certificate. People born before 1979 can operate vessels other than a personal watercraft without a boating safety certificate, but they must complete a safety course and be certified to operate a personal watercraft.
Boaters are also expected to obey basic rules for safe navigation around other vessels—for example, slowing down in no-wake zones, not being impaired by alcohol during operation, and moving starboard when approaching another vessel so both vessels pass on their port side. Anyone who causes a collision or otherwise injures another person by failing to follow any of these rules could hold civil liability for injuries caused by that accident, as a practiced Pennsauken boat injury attorney can explain in more detail.
What Can a Boat Accident Victim Get Paid for Through a Lawsuit?
The purpose of any personal injury lawsuit is to restore an injured person to their pre-injury condition by reimbursing them for specific losses they can trace directly back to their injury. Compensable damages in this type of claim can include but aren’t strictly limited to:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Short-term and long-term medical bills
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Personal property damage, including costs of boat repairs or replacement
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Lost work wages, benefits, and working ability
If a Pennsauken boat accident directly resulted in the premature death of someone close to you, our lawyers can alternatively help you and other close family members seek restitution for your own losses through a wrongful death claim.
Contact a Pennsauken Boat Accident Attorney for Help
While Pennsauken Township may not be a hotspot for watersports the way some eastern parts of New Jersey are, boat accidents can and do still happen, sometimes with devastating results for the people involved. If you’ve been hurt in this sort of accident, you may have a right to seek compensation for all your accident-related losses, but you also may have limited time to enforce that right before New Jersey law gets in your way.
Speaking with a respected Pennsauken boat accident lawyer should be a top priority after any kind of collision or other accident on the water. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to discuss your options. You won’t owe us anything until we win the compensation you deserve.
