Boating Accident Lawyers in El Paso, Texas

COMMON CAUSES OF BOATING ACCIDENTS

Boating accidents may be caused by a variety of factors, with many accidents leading to injuries or even fatalities. According to the 2019 Coast Guard report, many common causes of boating accidents include:

• Intoxication of boat operator or passengers
• Being struck by a propeller
• Navigation rules violation
• Machinery failure
• Speeding
• Operator not paying attention
• Inexperienced operator
• Improper lookout
  

COMMON BOATING ACCIDENT INJURIES

Boating accidents may cause serious injuries or even death.  Because of the limited amount of available safety procedures, even a relatively minor accident may still cause serious damage or injuries, such as from being unable to wear a seatbelt on the boat as you would in a car. Common injuries suffered in boating accidents include:

• Concussions
• Broken or fractured bones
• Broken or cracked ribs
• Spinal cord injuries
• Head or brain injuries
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Nerve damage
• Bruises
• Internal bleeding
• Paralysis
  

In some cases, boating accidents may also result in a fatality. 

WHAT TO DO AFTER AN EL PASO BOATING ACCIDENT

1. Contact an El Paso Boating Accident Attorney

If you have been in a boating accident, a boating accident lawyer in El Paso may be able to help you pursue any compensation you may be entitled to.  Your lawyer may help you file a boat accident lawsuit in El Paso to pursue compensation from any party that may be liable for your injuries.  Boating accidents may often be complicated compared to automobile accidents, and your lawyer may help you negotiate with any insurance companies or other parties to pursue a settlement for your injuries and damages.

2. Report the Accident

Under Texas law, you must report any significant boating accident to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), local law enforcement, or your local game warden.  Significant accidents are considered to be accidents where there may be a death, disappearance indicating a possible death or serious injury, bodily injury requiring medical attention, or property damage over $500.

3. Investigate Your Accident

After reporting your accident and hiring an experienced boating injury lawyer in El Paso, your attorney may investigate the accident and your injuries or damages to begin gathering evidence to support your claim. This investigation may include gathering the boating accident report filed with the TPWD or local law enforcement, contact information for any involved parties and witnesses, witness statements, insurance coverage, and any details of the accident. Your attorney may also gather documentation of your injuries and medical treatment to support the compensation you may be entitled to.

4. Negotiate a Settlement

An experienced El Paso personal injury lawyer may negotiate with the other party responsible for your boating injury or the insurer.  This negotiation may include each side making offers and counteroffers until a mutually agreeable settlement can be reached between the parties. If no settlement can be reached, your case may go to trial instead.

5. Trial

If the parties are unable to reach a settlement agreeable to both sides, your case may proceed to trial instead, where your lawyer may then present any evidence available to demonstrate the liability of the other party for the accident as well as the extent of your injuries and damages.  The jury, or judge in some cases, may then decide whether you are entitled to any damages.

WHAT COMPENSATION MAY I BE ENTITLED TO?

Your boating accident lawsuit in El Paso may include compensation for various economic and non-economic damages that you may have suffered in the accident.  You may be entitled to compensation for these various damages, including:

Economic Damages

You may be entitled to compensation for any medical bills you incurred from the accident.  These bills may include the cost of hospitalization or doctor visits, x-rays or other scans, any treatment, physical therapy, or any other medical costs.  If you missed any work as a result of the accident, such as while recovering from your injuries or for future doctor or therapy visits for your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your lost wages missed during your time off.  If the accident caused you to lose any earning capacity, such as from a permanent deformity or disability, you may be entitled to compensation for this loss as well.

Non-Economic Damages

In addition to any economic damages, you may also be entitled to some non-economic damages for your boating injury claim. Common non-economic damages include compensation for any pain and suffering you may have experienced as a result of the boating accident. This pain and suffering may include any emotional or mental anguish caused by your injuries as well as forms of mental anguish such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If your spouse was injured, disabled, or killed as a result of the accident, or in the case of a child, the parent was injured or killed, you may also be entitled to compensation for the loss of consortium with the injured person.

HOW LONG MAY MY BOATING ACCIDENT CASE TAKE?

As with most personal injury cases, there is no set amount of time that your boating accident case may take.  The length of time will depend on variables such as the complexity of your unique case, the availability of evidence regarding the cause of the accident, the length of time before you file your claim, the length of time it may take to gather an accurate understanding of the full extent of any injuries you may have suffered, as well as the amount of time any investigation of the accident may take.  Depending on the complexity of the case, your attorney may need to hire investigators or experts to examine your boat or any boat or object that may have struck your boat.  Finally, the length of time your case may take will depend greatly upon whether your lawyer is able to obtain a settlement with the other party or insurer to avoid the time and expense of a trial. If your claim proceeds to trial, this may often cause significant delays for your case.

HOW A BOATING ACCIDENT LAWYER MAY HELP

While boating accidents do not happen in El Paso as frequently as car wrecks, these accidents can be especially complex, especially given the difficulty in investigating the scene of the accident compared to car accidents.  An attorney with experience investigating and seeking compensation for boating injuries may be able to help you understand your options.  Your lawyer may be able to handle your case while allowing you to focus on recovering from any injuries you may have suffered.  Finally, your attorney may be able to level the playing field between you and the other party’s insurer by negotiating with the insurer’s team of lawyers.  Insurance companies want to minimize your payout as much as possible.

Learn More: Why Hiring a Lawyer Will Help Your Case

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO FILE A CLAIM?

After your boating accident, you will only have a short period of time to file a lawsuit against the liable party. This legal time limit, called the statute of limitations, places a time limit on filing a claim for compensation under Texas law. In Texas, the statute of limitations for boating accidents is two years. Therefore, you will have exactly two years from the date of the accident in which to bring any boating accident lawsuit.  If you do not file your claim before the statute of limitations expires, you may be barred from ever pursuing any compensation.

GET HELP FROM A BOATING INJURY LAWYER IN EL PASO TODAY

At Zinda Law Group, our boating accident attorneys are here to assist you with your claim. We help our clients pursue the maximum compensation they may be entitled to for their boat accident claim in El Paso.

Call (800) 863-5312 today for a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys. As one of our clients, you will not pay anything unless we can win your El Paso boating injury case.

Meetings with attorneys by appointment only.