Your #1 Rated Kansas City Watercraft & Boat Accident Attorneys

Samples of boating injuries handled by our firm…

A defendant may be considered negligent for:

• Crashing or Beaching a boat onto land or rocks causing injury to occupants
• Operating at a boat or jet ski at unreasonably high speed for conditions and traffic
• Running over someone with propellers
• Failing to carry life jackets or other safety equipment on board.
• Collisions with other boats or fixed objects
• Crashing into waves or wakes at a wrong angle or excessive speed.
• Deciding to operate a vehicle in bad weather.
• Causing individuals to fall overboard due to reckless operation of boat.
• Overcrowding and overloading a boat beyond capacity resulting in injury.
• Boating Accidents While Intoxicated: Under Missouri and Kansas state law, it is illegal to operate a vessel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If an individual is suspected of driving a boat while intoxicated, they must submit to sobriety tests. Refusal to submit to the test will result in the revocation of the operator’s boating and driving privileges. If an injury accident occurs while operatoer is under the influence it is a greater claim for this aggravating factor. In Missouri and Kansas one is intoxicated alcohol in blood or breath is at or above .08%.

What legal Actions are Available for boating injuries…..

• Victims of boating and watercraft accidents may be able to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for personal injuries if claim negotiations do not result in sufficient payment to you. Aggravating factors alleged against a boater may enhance the value of your claim if they operated recklessly, with gross negligence, or under the influence.
• Negligence is the most common cause of action under which boating accident lawsuits. Many times the operator of the vessel may be held liable for negligence during a boating accident if they do not respect their duty to operate their vehicle in a reasonable standard of care.  If they breach their duty by disregarding common boating rules, including but not limited to, traveling at high rate of speed, crashing onto rocks or land, improper passing of another vessel, or fail to use life jackets or other proper safety equipment on board.

It is important to collect evidence, eyewitness testimony, police reports, photographs of the accident and injuries. In these types of lawsuits, the injured party will have to prove that the boating accident was caused by another’s negligence or carelessness, they were injured as a result, and the negligent party is responsible for any related losses.