Who Is Liable When Fun Turns Fatal? How Is Liability Determined in a Watercraft Accident?
Spring is here, and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, that means it’s time to get the boat in the water. One of the top boating states, Texas boasts approximately 600,000 registered private watercraft, the sixth most in the country. Unfortunately, though, Texas also experiences a high number of boating accidents and fatalities every year. On Lake Lewisville, the largest body of water in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, there are multiple boating deaths and numerous watercraft accidents every year.
What are the common types and causes of boating injuries in the DFW metroplex? Who is legally responsible when an outing on the water turns dangerous or even fatal? How is liability determined in a DFW boating accident?
Most Frequent Types of Boating Accidents in the DFW Metroplex
The types of watercraft accidents most commonly reported in the Dallas-Fort Worth area involve:
- Collisions with other boats, with swimmers, or with other objects in the water, including diving platforms, docks, and buoys
- Boat capsizes, either from reckless or careless operation of the vehicle or excessive speed
- Equipment failure, where mechanical breakdowns put boaters at risk
Common Causes of Boating Accidents in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area
Boating mishaps in the DFW area stem from a wide range of factors, including:
- Failure to pay attention to other boats, swimmers, or stationary objects, such as docks, leading to direct impact with individuals or collisions with other watercraft, buoys, or rafts
- Use of alcohol or drugs while operating a boat, or as a passenger, which can lead to impaired driving or falling out of the boat
- Inexperience operating a boat
- Reckless actions while operating a watercraft, including excessive speed, hot-dogging, sharp turns, or failing to use appropriate safety equipment
How Is Liability Determined in a Boating Accident?
Most personal injury claims are based on allegations of negligence. When you’ve been hurt in a boating accident, your attorney will look at the actions of anyone involved in the incident, examining whether their actions were reasonable under the circumstances. To prove negligence in a personal injury claim, your lawyer must show that the actions of the defendant (the person from whom you seek damages) failed to meet the standard for reasonable conduct, thereby causing the accident that resulted in your injury and losses.
Contact the Proven DFW Boating Accident Lawyers at Bailey & Galyen
At the law offices of Bailey & Galyen, we have fought for the rights of injured people in Texas for more than 40 years, including people hurt in accidents while boating on the lakes and waterways in Texas. We have a comprehensive understanding of personal injury claims and know how to evaluate your claim and take the necessary steps to help you get full and fair compensation for your losses.
In our 40+ years in practice, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for personal injury clients. We know how to effectively investigate and litigate a wrongful death or other boating accident injury claim in the DFW Metroplex. Contact us by e-mail or call our offices. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
