Boating accidents can cause catastrophic harm to victims and their families. Whether due to operator negligence, equipment failure, or hazardous conditions, they can leave individuals with significant losses and confusion about their legal rights and options.
If you were injured in a boating accident caused by someone else’s negligence on one of Hartford’s waterways, you have the right to pursue justice and compensation. Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, has extensive experience handling personal injury cases, including those arising from local boating accidents. We can guide you through the legal process and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to learn more in a free consultation with a Hartford boating accident lawyer.
What Are Some Different Types of Boating Accidents in Hartford?
Boating accidents come in many forms. It depends on the type of vessel(s) involved in the accident and other circumstances. These incidents can cause serious harm and require legal assistance to secure compensation.
Common types of boating accidents include:
- Collisions with other boats
- Collisions with stationary objects
- Capsizing
- Falls overboard
- Grounding accidents
- Fires or explosions onboard
- Flooding or swamping
- Water skiing or tubing accidents.
What Are Common Causes of Hartford Boating Accidents?
Many boating accidents result from negligence. These accidents would not have happened if the at-fault party had honored their duty to prioritize safety. Operator inattention is a leading cause of boating accidents. Distractions or failure to monitor surroundings can result in collisions or capsizing. Similarly, boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a significant factor in many boating accidents. Substance use impairs judgment and slows the ability to react.
Some other possible causes of boating accidents in Hartford include:
- Speeding or reckless operation, especially on crowded waterways
- Equipment failure due to poor maintenance or manufacturing defects
- Operator inexperience (new boaters tend to struggle in emergencies).
Other factors that can contribute to or directly cause boating accidents include weather conditions, poor visibility, poor management of waterways, and hazardous water conditions. Regardless of the cause, victims often have the right to pursue compensation for their boating accident injuries and other losses.
What Types of Injuries Happen in a Hartford Boating Accident?
Accidents on Connecticut’s waterways can cause a wide range of injuries, depending on the circumstances of the incident. Fatal boating accidents are all too common.
Victims of boating accidents commonly suffer from:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) resulting from head impacts during collisions or falls
- Spinal cord injuries resulting from falls overboard or severe impacts
- Broken bones caused by collisions or being struck by loose objects
- Burns from onboard fires or explosions
- Drowning or near-drowning injuries (when victims are thrown into the water)
- Lacerations from propellers or sharp edges on the vessel
- Infections caused by bacteria in the water getting into open wounds.
How Do I Report a Hartford Boating Accident?
Connecticut law requires you to report a boating accident. Prompt reporting of the accident will also help to protect your legal rights.
The boating accident reporting process involves the following steps:
- Ensure safety first — Check for injuries and provide immediate medical assistance. Contact emergency services if needed.
- Notify local authorities — Report the accident immediately to the nearest law enforcement agency.
- Complete a boating accident report form — If the accident involves injuries, fatalities, disappearances, or significant property damage (more than $500), you must file a written report with the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Boating Division.
- Submit the report on time — Submit the completed form within 48 hours for serious accidents or within five days for others.
Who Can Be Liable for a Hartford Boating Accident?
The ability to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages after a boating accident hinges on proving another party’s fault, or “determining liability.” Depending on the circumstances, several parties could be found legally responsible, including the following:
- Boat operators — Operators can be liable for causing accidents due to their careless or reckless handling of a vessel in violation of Connecticut boating laws, such as speeding, distracted driving, plowing through no-wake zones, or boating while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.
- Boat owners — Boat owners are responsible for ensuring their vessels are properly maintained and safe for use. They face liability when their failure to keep regular maintenance results in a boat crash or when they fail to provide proper safety equipment such as life jackets.
- Manufacturers — Watercraft manufacturers may be liable if equipment defects or mechanical failures contribute to an accident. Faulty equipment can make it impossible to avoid accidents.
- Rental companies — Boat rental companies could be held accountable for inadequate maintenance or failure to provide proper safety instructions to renters.
- Passengers — In rare cases, a passenger’s reckless behavior may contribute to an accident.
- Local authorities — Agencies with authority over local waterways may be liable if their failure to monitor conditions causes or contributes to a boat accident.
Is Compensation Available for a Boating Accident Lawsuit?
Victims of boating accidents in Hartford may be eligible for compensation covering their serious injuries and losses. This compensation may cover tangible financial losses and losses that don’t have a precise monetary value.
Depending on the circumstances of your boat accident, you may be able to secure compensation for:
- Past, ongoing, and expected future medical expenses (including rehabilitation, long-term care, medical equipment, and any ongoing medical treatment)
- Home modifications to accommodate long-term or permanent disability
- Lost income, including lost future earnings
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of quality and enjoyment of life
- Property damage
- Wrongful death (if the accident resulted in the loss of a loved one).
The compensation you may receive will depend on contributing factors such as the nature and severity of your injuries, whether you expect to fully recover from them, and the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Is Connecticut a No-Fault Insurance State?
Connecticut is not what people call a “no-fault” insurance state. Instead, it follows a fault-based system. If you get hurt in a boating accident in Connecticut, you must prove another party’s negligence to recover compensation. To do so, you must gather evidence to build a strong case against the at-fault party. An experienced Hartford boating accident lawyer can manage this process for you.
How Long Do You Have to File a Boating Accident Claim in Connecticut?
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584, you have two years to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party seeking compensation for boating injuries. This period is shorter than it may seem. Your boating accident attorney will need to start investigating right away to preserve valuable evidence and build the strongest possible boating accident claim on your behalf. Contact our Hartford boating accident lawyer today.
Contact a Connecticut Boat Accident Lawyer
If you suffered injuries in a boating accident, you may face a long road to recovery. Let the Hartford boating accident lawyers at Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, take the burden off your shoulders so you can focus on healing. We have over 55 years of combined experience fighting for hard-working clients harmed by other people’s negligence. Contact us today to discuss your case with a free consultation and learn how we can help you pursue maximum compensation.
