In order to better understand what type of accidents and injuries occur and why, we need to take a more detailed looking at the breakdown of these statistics. When looking at these statistics, it is easy to see why it is imperative to seek out a maritime injury attorney if you suffer from boating injuries.

The five primary accident types were as follows: collision with vessel, collision with fixed object, skier mishap, falls overboard and capsizing. Collision with other vessel makes up 1,329 accidents and 66 deaths. This includes all types and sizes of boats.

The five types of vessels with the top casualty numbers were open motorboat, personal watercraft, cabin motorboat, canoe/kayak and pontoon boat. Open motorboats account for 2,220 casualties, of which 334 were deaths. It is not surprising that the second type of vessel is the personal watercraft. In my experience there are many users that race around the waterway with little regard for safety and rules.

Top ten contributing factors of accidents – operator inattention, careless/reckless operation, passenger/skier behavior, speeding, use of alcohol, improper-lookout, operator inexperience, machinery failure, weather and equipment failure. 145 deaths can be directly attributed to the use of alcohol. Boating trips can provide a lot of excitement and fun and it is common for boaters to underestimate the risks and dangers.

If you become the victim of an injury or accident on the water it is very helpful if you document as much information as possible – details of what happened, circumstances, weather conditions, any witnesses, medical treatment, etc. There are instances when the evidence is clear, however, most of the time, they are not. The problem with boats is that, unlike cars, they do not leave much significant trace. This is the main reason why determining liability in a boat accident is sometimes difficult. It is important to remember that these accidents are not limited to cruise liners. They vary from small crafts, speed boats, personal watercraft, ferries and large maritime vessels. They are also not limited to collisions. Any mishap that results to an injury, death or disappearance of a boat passenger is considered as a boating accident. Victims are recommended to retain the services of a maritime injury attorney. Larger cities will have at least one maritime law firm that hire maritime attorneys to serve boating accident victims.

Injuries of boating accidents include scrapes, amputation, back injury, broken bones, burns, carbon monoxide, contusion, dislocation, head injury, hypothermia, internal injuries, laceration, neck injury, shock, spinal injury, sprain/strain, teeth and jaw injuries. Boating accidents frequently bring about severe injuries which could last long-term or permanently.

Vessel owners are required by law to show a certain degree of reasonable care in the operation and maintenance of their vessels. When determining liability in a boat accident or injury, if they failed to comply with such laws, generally they will be considered at fault. In any boating accident or injury, legal concerns will come out. Liability will be a major question. Insurance will be another issue that is raised. If the owner’s marine insurance will provide coverage for injuries sustained by the victims of the accident. Finding the right legal representation puts you on the right track, which would most likely win you a favorable decision in court.

A maritime law firm employs maritime attorneys that specialize in boating accidents and injuries. There are several ways to find a qualified maritime injury attorney. Maritime attorneys are listed under a maritime law firm in your local phone directory, recommendations from family or friends, internet searches, state bar directories and law societies. When you find a qualified lawyer, discuss all of the information pertaining to your case and are sure to know what these services will cost you financially. Boat accident specialists have knowledge of what strategies work best in your certain situation. They have the skills and training that will get you the best outcome.

Boating Deaths Down for 08 in Minnesota

Mandatory Boating Education Classes Set

Classes are forming for 14- to 17-year-olds who must successfully complete a boating safety course before operating a boat or personal watercraft in the state.

Yacht and Boat Team handing out free Boating Safety Packs

Boating Safety Findings

Concerns about recreational boating rules raised last year by Otago-Southland coroner David Crerar in his findings into the death of a girl hit by a speedboat on Lake Te Anau are still under consideration.

Boating Safety and Submerged Objects

Boating Safety boating accidents and fatalities as a result of boats striking submerged objects.

Technorati Tags: boat accident specialist, boat related accidents and fatalities, boating injuries, capsizing, collision with fixed object, falls overboard, maritime injuries, Maritime Injury Attorney, skier mishap, United States Coast Guard

The Jones Act- Injured Maritime Workers

The Jones Act is a federal cause of action, meaning that the United States Congress intended for all seaman’s injuries throughout the nation to be guided by the same liability standards of the Jones Act.

The Jones Act provides an injured seaman a remedy against his or her employers for injuries arising from negligent acts of the employer or co-workers during the course of employment on a ship or vessel.

An injured worker’s maritime claim under the Jones Act can also raise claims against a vessel’s owner that a dangerous condition existed on the vessel that made the vessel unseaworthy. If you are a crewman on a boat or vessel and were injured while working, you will be entitled to sue your employer for injuries caused by your employer’s negligence under a federal law called the Jones Act.

Under the provisions of the Jones Act, injured maritime workers and seamen injured while working in service to a ship in navigable waters are eligible to receive certain medical and financial benefits. Since the Jones Act covers work-related injuries caused by the negligence of an employer or ship owner, injured maritime workers can encounter difficulties when their employer denies any negligence or responsibility on their part. Benefits Owed Injured Maritime Workers Under the Jones Act.

Injured maritime workers are eligible to receive the following kinds of benefits under the terms of the Jones Act, regardless of whether an employer or ship owner is at fault. The Jones Act is a law enacted by Congress that provides protection to persons who are members of the crew of a ship or vessel.

The Jones Act applies to inland river workers as well as offshore workers who work on a jackup rig, semi-submersible ship or rig, barge, drill ship, tug / towboat, crew boat , drill ship, dredge, floating crane, tanker, cargo ship, fishing vessel, chemical ship, research vessel, construction barge, lay barge, motorized platform, diving vessel, cruise ship, recreational boat or other floating / movable structures.

Although the Jones Act protects seamen, it is not the same as workers’ compensation. In order for a worker to recover under the Jones Act, a worker must prove some negligence or fault on the part of the vessel’s owners, operators, officers, and/or fellow employees or by reason of any defect in the vessel, its gear, tackle, or equipment.

Offshore drilling rigs, drill ships, barges and other motorized structures which are moveable and which float from hole to hole semis and jackups , are considered vessels under the Jones Act. Individuals who have been injured at sea may file a claim under the Jones Act. Don’t let an employer intimidate or mislead you about the benefits owed you under the Jones Act.

To recover under the Jones Act, the injury must have occurred during the course of employment and the worker must prove seaman status. To be eligible for the Jones Act, an injured maritime worker must be more or less permanently assigned to a vessel or fleet of vessels in navigation; perform regular work while at sea; and/or aid in navigation of the vessel, contribute to the vessels function, or be in furtherance of the vessels mission.

Maritime and Jones Act- If You’ve Been Injured

If you have been injured and you believe that you fall under the protection of the Maritime Jones Act, the first thing you should do is to seek the advice of an experienced “Maritime Attorney"

The Jones Act – Maintenance & Cure

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is one of three congressional laws commonly referred to as the “Jones Act”. 

The Jones Act

Jones Act Jones Act is online now. 

Technorati Tags: injured maritime worker, injured maritime workers, injured seaman, injured seamen, The Jones Act

Injuries Sustained from Accidents on Boats

Have you had a particularly sunny day spending time in a boat or yacht that turned awry due to unexpected accident on board and at sea?

Well, misfortunes do happen at the most unexpected times. And sometimes, it leaves serious physical injuries. Accidents on boats are particularly tricky since this involve the sea and its undetermined depths. You would never know if you’re going to spend the last days of your life not on dry land… Well, before we go into the gory details…we might as well tackle your rights as victims of injury which resulted from accidents on boats and what legal actions you can do.

We are going to give you the important facts you need to know, before anything else. Did you know that there are almost thirteen million recreational numbered boats in the United States? Meanwhile, boating accident resulting to injuries number close to six thousand every year and cause over thirty nine million dollars in property damage. Last 2002, in a boating accident case, 750 people were killed. In almost 40% of these  boating  accidents case fatalities involve alcohol. Fatalities are most often the result of drowning.

Once accidents on a boat or any vessel at sea occur, authorities should be informed quickly about it. The case is required to be reported to the federal or state authorities especially when following circumstances happen: the accident causes the death or disappearance, indicating death or injury, of any individual; the  boating  accident caused injuries to the persons in it and requires medical care beyond first aid and/or if damages to the vessel or property exceeds five hundred dollars.

Boating  accidents involving open motorboats, personal watercrafts (PWCs) or cabin motorboats are commonly reported cases. Accidents may happen due to collisions with fixed objects or moving vessels, capsizing or sinking, fire or explosion, falls or ejection overboard and other circumstances. Often, negligence resulting from operator inattention is the foremost contributing factor in a case of accidents on boats, according to the  Boating  Accident Report Database (BARD) system. Boat operator’s carelessness or recklessness and operator’s inexperience or excessive speed follows in frequency are also causes of these types of boat accidents.

Physical harm to a person caused by a boating accident case must be filed with the proper authorities within 48 hours that accident happened. On the other hand, if only vessel or property damage were caused by the boating accident case, case can be filed ten days from the occurrence.

If you or someone you know have been injured in a boating accident case and operator negligence is involved, you may be eligible to file a claim or a lawsuit to seek compensation for damages including injuries, medical costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and property or vessel damages. This may compensate your could-have-been good day at sea, but again maybe any amount wouldn’t. Sad events, these types of accidents.

About The Author

Lala B. is a 26 year-old Communication Arts graduate, with a major in Journalism. Right after graduating last 1999, she worked for one year as a clerk then became a Research, Publication and Documentation Program Director at a non-government organization, which focuses on the rights, interests and welfare of workers for about four years.

Book reading has always been her greatest passion — mysteries, horrors, psycho-thrillers, historical documentaries and classics. She got hooked into it way back when she was but a shy kid.

Her writing prowess began as early as she was 10 years old in girlish diaries. With writing, she felt freedom – to express her viewpoints and assert it, to bring out all concerns — imagined and observed, to bear witness.

For additional legal information and inquiries about the article log on to http://www.attorneyservicesetc.com

carmelo@attorneyservicesetc.com

This article was posted on February 23, 2005

Coast Guard probes cause of clam boat accident

A day after the clamshell-carrying Providenza capsized off of Eastern Point and its two-man crew were rescued by a nearby fishing boat, the 38-foot vessel was hauled out of the water yesterday while the Coast Guard worked to find out why it overturned.

Coast Guard officials yesterday afternoon said they had finished interviews with the crew of the Providenza and witnesses to its capsizing, but had not yet determined a cause for the accident.

Vietnam river boat accident

At least 39 people drowned and five were missing after a river boat accident in Vietnam Sunday when a crowded vessel sank while taking people to a market, online news site VnExpress said. The boat sank in strong currents 20 metres (65 feet) from shore on the Gianh river in central Quang Binh province, a survivor and a provincial official were quoted as telling the VnExpress online news portal. "They have already recovered 39 bodies," Quang Binh provincial people’s committee chairman Phan Lam Phuong was quoted as saying. "Most of them are women and children. They have saved 36 other people."

Man dead after Culver ice Boat Accident

Police say a man who was rushed to the hospital after his boat overturned in icy water has died.

Culver police say 72-year-old Ronald D. King’s wife notified them around 2:45 p.m., after he failed to return from an "ice boat" outing on the lake. An ice boat is similar to a sail boat, only that it runs on skis on top of the ice.

Firefighters eventually found King’s boat on the ice, in the middle of the lake. He had fallen into the water and was partially submerged when they got to him.

Technorati Tags: accident on a boat, Accidents on Boats, Boating Accidents, types of boat accidents

Boating and personal watercraft (Jet Skis and Sea Doos) accidents often occur due to negligence. They can result in serious and sometimes deadly injuries.

There are many different types of water sport accidents, including accidents that occur during recreational activity, on a cruise ship, navy vessel, or via maritime work. Regardless of the type of  boating  accident involved, a boating accident lawyer specializing in personal injuries from boating and watersport accidents can help recover any damages lost as a result of the accident.

Boating Accidents at a Glance

*The Coast Guard received reports for a total of 6,419 recreational  boating  accidents in 2001. The casualty data for 2001 showed 681 fatalities and 4,274 injuries.

*Four hundred and ninety-eight (498) boaters drowned in 2001. Life jackets could have saved the lives of approximately 420 boaters who drowned. In 2001, approximately eight out of every 10 victims in fatal boating accidents were not wearing life jackets. Boaters continue to be at a greater risk of dying when involved in an accident during the fall and winter months than in the summer. Besides the colder weather and water, there are fewer boaters and patrol officers in the area to rescue boaters in distress. When waters are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, hypothermia can set in quickly. Those who hunt and fish from boats, especially in colder weather, need to dress for possible immersion and wear their life jackets. Boaters in larger bodies of water should also take advantage of using available distress alerting and position indicating technologies to improve their chances of survival if a mishap occurs.

*Eighty-five (85) percent of fatalities occurred on boats less than 26 feet in length. Seventy-two (72) percent of those victims drowned. Specifically, 322 fatalities occurred on boats less than 16 feet in length and 254 occurred on boats 16 to less than 26 feet in length.

*Alcohol involvement in fatal accidents accounted for thirty-four (34) percent of all boating fatalities — up eight (8) percent from 1999. A Coast Guard study estimates that boat operators with a blood alcohol concentration above .10 percent are estimated to be more than 10 times as likely to be killed in a boating accident than boat operators with zero blood alcohol concentration.

*Approximately eighty (80) percent of all boating fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not completed a boating safety education course.

*Nearly 70 percent of all reported accidents involve operator controllable factors. The primary causes of accidents are operator inattention, careless/reckless operation, operator inexperience, operating at an unsafe speed, and no proper lookout.

*”Capsizing” and “Falls Overboard” accounted for 386 fatalities, nearly sixty (60) percent of all reported  boating  fatalities. Nine out of every 10 of those victims drowned . “Collision with Another Vessel” was the most reported type of accident . These accidents resulted in 1,366 injuries and accounted for nearly nine (9) million dollars in property damage.

*Twenty-six (26) children age 12 and under lost their lives while boating in 2001. One hundred and thirty-seven (137) boaters died in the 40-49 age group category — the highest number reported for any age group.

*Three hundred and fifty-two (352) fatalities occurred with the use of open motorboats, just over half of all boating fatalities. One hundred and one (101) people lost their lives while using canoes/kayaks in 2001. Approximately ninety-three (93) percent of canoe/kayak deaths were caused by drowning. Fifty (50) fatalities occurred with the use of Personal Watercraft (PWC), the lowest number of PWC fatalities reported since 1993. Approximately eighty (80) percent of all reported injuries were associated with the use of open motorboats (46%) and PWC (34%). Lacerations were the most reported type of injury for open motorboats. For PWC, broken bones were the most often reported type of injury.

Data Provided by: U.S. Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard

Thousands take to the water each day on personal water

craft (PWC), commonly known as Jet Skis.

From a operator’s point of view, they’re small, maneuverable, fast, and seemingly simple to use. You just climb aboard, start it and twist the throttle. The next thing you know you’re flying across the water throwing spray every time you shift your body. What a great toy, but they aren’t toys and it can be a big mistake to assume they are.

PWC are different from conventional boats in terms of design, operation and use. Unlike other types of boats, their shallow draft design allows them to be operated at high speeds in shallow waters and close to shore. They are highly maneuverable and capable of speeds exceeding 65 mph. Common practices include: weaving between vessels, jumping wakes, spinning doughnuts, and radical changes of course, which is why several areas want to ban them (an extreme response).

Personal water craft are common, and so are accidents involving them.

Water Sports Accidents

Rules exist for users of Jet Skis, Skidoos, and other personal watercrafts who share the area’s lakes with others. These rules are meant to keep everyone safe and ensure everyone is able to enjoy the recreation that the lakes around Phoenix and throughout Arizona can provide. All it takes is one act of negligence to cause someone a serious injury. If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident caused by someone carelessly using a personal watercraft, our attorneys can help.

Jet Ski injury and Boating accident cases

As congested as the roads may be, Florida’s coastline and inland waters can be just as crowded and just as hard to navigate safely. Making matters worse is the problem of drunk boating.

If you have been seriously injured in a personal watercraft or boating accident of any type — contact our Miami law office today for a free consultation.

Boating and Jet Ski Accidents Are Preventable

Riding the waves of the Great Lakes and on Michigan’s inland waterways on boats and jet skis is a great way to have fun on a hot summer day, but it’s also a tragedy waiting to happen if common sense and due care are not followed.

And the consequences of careless personal watercraft operators can be very serious, especially for young people. In any given year, about 20 percent of all personal watercraft injuries in the U.S. are to youth under the age of 18. Of those injured children, 46% were operators and 27% were passengers.

Jet skis make up only 6.5% of all boating vessels owned in the U.S. but are involved in 55% of all boat collisions. The U.S. Coast Guard found in 2002 that a personal watercraft operator is seven times more likely to get hurt than a motor boat operator and 30 times more likely than a canoer or kayaker.

Collisions with docks, larger boats and other personal watercraft account for more than 65% of all reported injuries. Collisions often occur when operators attempt to jump the wake generated by another vessel.

Personal watercraft operators and owners have a legal duty to exercise the highest degree of care in order to prevent injuries to others. The overwhelming majority of boating accidents are caused by factors that can be controlled by the operator.

Technorati Tags: water sport accident, water sports accidents

Understanding Boat Accidents

What better way to spend your well deserved vacation than having a week-long cruise at the Caribbean, having a cocktail on one hand, and a newspaper on the other.

You work hard during those long overtime hours for the single determination that come this summer you would be spending the time of your life in your life long dream vacation. Just when you thought life could not get any better, you are suddenly dragged to reality and experience one of the most if not the most dreaded accident one could ever experience. You are a victim of a maritime  accident .

Maritime accidents or boat accidents for that matter have become so rampant in our present time. With the advent of advances in navigation, more and more people rely on this mode of transportation in moving from one place to another. Some people view the journey as being the safest mode of transport possible and available in our present day, some though are of the opinion that maritime travel is actually one of the most dangerous if not the most dangerous form of travel available in our present time.

Maritime travel has its own shares of dangers as like any other type of transportation available. The fact that you are traveling in an area where you may be as isolated as possible, and that it has depths only God-knows where it reaches are some of the inherent dangerous conditions in such mode of transportation. Not to mention the fact that there might be an instance when your travel is plagued by a typhoon or a cyclone, in such case, unlike when you are traveling by land where you can park your vehicle until the storm passes, you have no choice but to let the ebb and flow of the waves determine your destiny.

Boating  accidents  are real. Whether we like it or not, these accidents are not saved from the force of God or from the negligence of man. Accidents in the seas or in any other body of water happen, and they happen quite often, hence you must be prepared for such an occurrence. Nothing can beat a prepared body and mind on these occasions. Having the assistance of a Maritime Law Firm in your area such as Texas Maritime Accident Attorneys would also be beneficial for your cause. So that the next time you have that cruise, you will not be awaken from a Titanic dream.

By: Atty. Gabriel Cosh

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more information about Boat Accidents, visit our Los Angeles Attorneys website

Boating Safety – Life Jackets for Children and Adults
I wonder what good it does for a child to have to wear one, only to witness a parent or loved one drown in a boating accident?

Fatigue at Sea
“25% of all ships caused 51% of marine accidents Boating Accidents one reason behind these accidents is seafarers’ fatigue”- DNV study reveals. Sailing industry is well acquainted with the increase of seafarers’ fatigue onboard.

To Reduce Boating Accidents
Plans are underway to re-map Lake Victoria and produce new charts that would help avoid marine accidents. The new charts would help shippers avoid danger spots where rocks and other underwater obstacles have caused accidents.

Offshore Accident Lawyers
Maritime law in the United States is compiled by a list of statutes which cover all waterborne activities taking place in United States waters.

Jacksonville Florida Maritime Lawyers
Marine safety news, including discussion of boating accidents, Jones Act Seaman accidents and and accidents involving Longshoremen will be posted.

Maritime Attorneys
Maritime Attorneys: Find the right Maritime attorney for your case. Email multiple attorneys at once, you evaluate their responses and choose the attorney that is right for you.

Technorati Tags: boat accidents, Boating Accidents, maritime law firm, Texas Maritime Accident Attorneys