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