On a hot summer day in South Carolina, there is nothing quite like hopping on your boat and heading out onto the water. A boat ride can help alleviate stress and bring joy to your life at the end of a long workday or on the weekend. However, a fun day out on the boat can quickly turn into a nightmare in the event of a waterway accident.
If another boater’s negligence caused your injuries, the aggressive attorneys of Geel & Gentry, LLC can take the lead with your claim. They can investigate the cause of the accident, collect compelling evidence that supports your case, and create a strong suit for compensation that covers your related losses. Additionally, they can handle any and all negotiations with the defendant’s insurance company. Contact our firm today to speak with a diligent Mount Pleasant boat accident lawyer.
Because of the enjoyable weather and easy access to the water, boating is a beloved pastime of many Mount Pleasant residents. However, when other boaters operate their watercraft negligently or recklessly, dangerous accidents that result in severe injuries and fatalities can occur.
When a boater fails to exercise the level of care that a reasonable person would in similar circumstances, they could be deemed negligent. The committed team of attorneys at Geel & Gentry, LLC can assess the facts of a Mount Pleasant boat crash and help establish that the defendant’s negligence caused the incident. From there, they will evaluate the injured party’s damages and compile them into a demand for compensation.
When boats have defective parts, they can cause serious problems even when their operators act responsibly. For instance, a flawed steering mechanism could cause a boater to lose control of their vessel, possibly sending it into the path of another boat. Similarly, a defective motor that bursts into flames when a boat reaches a certain speed could also quickly turn a fun day in the sun into a dangerous situation. Product manufacturers and sellers have a responsibility to consumers to design, produce, and market safe boats; therefore, when a vessel has a design or manufacturing defect, or when the manufacturers or distributors fail to warn consumers about potential safety issues, an injured party might be able to sue for damages in a product liability claim.
As our Mount Pleasant attorneys can further explain, not all boat equipment failures occur because of inherently defective parts. Some mechanical failures happen due to a lack of maintenance. Boat operators are responsible for regularly inspecting and maintaining their boats. If a boat owner fails to perform repairs on their vessel and a faulty part leads to an accident, the injured party might have grounds to sue the owner.
Boat operators owe a duty of care to everyone on the water, including their passengers, people on other vessels, and people swimming, wading, or enjoying water sports. Just as car drivers need to drive carefully, boat operators are required by the law to act responsibly. Unfortunately, many boaters do not treat operating a watercraft vessel as seriously as driving a car. For example, many people do not hesitate to go out onto the open waters without experience handling a boat or knowledge about the local and state waterway rules.
While many people would never consider driving their car with an open container of alcohol, many careless boaters do not think twice about operating their watercraft while drinking. In addition to facing criminal charges for boating while drinking, intoxicated boaters could also face civil liability if they injure someone.
The attorneys of Geel & Gentry, LLC could collect and preserve powerful evidence linking the boat operator’s wrongful behavior to the Mount Pleasant boat wreck.
Waterway accidents can result in devastating injuries. When someone else is responsible for your boat crash and injuries, they should cover the costs of your medical treatment, lost wages, and more. A Mount Pleasant boat accident lawyer from Geel & Gentry, LLC will fight tirelessly to hold the negligent boater accountable for what they did.
Call today to set up a free consultation with an attorney from our firm. We are based in the Charleston area, so our team thoroughly understands the unique laws and regulations that apply in our community. Call today to learn more.
Geel and Gentry
N/a
