People love spending a fun day relaxing out on the open water with friends and family. Unfortunately, local waterways are busy, and a great day can turn tragic within seconds. A wreck on the water can cause severe injuries and even death when it involves negligent boat operators or passengers.
If you are in a watercraft collision caused by a person’s reckless actions, you must know all of your rights. If a person’s negligent behavior led to the damages of you or someone you love, contact a skilled Elsmere boat accident lawyer at Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz, and Bhaya right away to go over the details of your case.
Damage Recovery after a Boating Crash
After a watercraft wreck, the injured party may sustain physical, emotional, financial, and property losses. These losses can include lost wages, medical bills, pain, suffering, mental anguish, and property damages.
If negligent behavior caused these losses, the plaintiff can have the right to collect compensation. A boat collision injury attorney can help a plaintiff collect the evidence needed to prove damages in an Elsmere civil court. The categories for each include lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, property damage, and more.
Lost Wages
After getting severely hurt, someone is likely to miss extended periods of work. Sometimes, they can return but cannot fulfill all of their duties on a full-time basis. In those cases, an award for damages would cover the wages they lost while recovering from their injuries. The award would include hourly wages, overtime, bonuses, sick time, vacation days, and any compensation they lost because of the wreck.
Medical Bills
Medical expenses include any costs that relate to recovery, pain management, and improving health after getting hurt. These expenses can consist of hospital stays, surgeries, doctor appointments, medications, rehabilitation, and medical devices.
Pain, Suffering and Mental Anguish
Pain, suffering, and mental anguish are non-economic damages that the courts allow for recovery of damages in personal injury cases. These include grief, depression, anxiety, distress, and hopelessness after severe crashes and injuries.
Property Damages
Property damages cover various expenses a person incurred as a result of a collision. In the case of a water vessel wreck, someone’s boat or dock can become damaged due to a negligent person. The court bases the amount of the award on whether the property needs repair or replacement.
Boating Safety in Elsmere
This state has strict legislation that watercraft operators and passengers must abide by to ensure safety. Delaware Code Title 23 § 2212 states restrictions and regulations relating to the operation of personal watercraft, all boat operators in the state must abide by the following rules:
- No person under 16 years of age is allowed to operate a boating vessel, with the exception that a person at least 14 years old can drive the boat under adult supervision
- Boats are not allowed to be operated after sunset unless the vessel has attached and working headlights
- Every occupant riding in a personal watercraft must wear a state-approved life vest
- It is prohibited to operate a boat, vessel, or personal watercraft without a self-circling device or engine cut-off switch connected to a person
- No person shall alter the boat’s throttle mechanism or engine cut-off device
Any person who sustains damages because an operator or passengers are not abiding by state regulation should immediately contact a watercraft wreck injury attorney in Elsmere.
Meet with a Qualified Boat Accident Attorney in Elsmere Today
Personal watercraft operators have a duty to behave responsibly and keep their passengers safe. If that does not happen, you have the right to hold them accountable for your injuries and losses.
If negligent behavior caused damages to you or someone you love, contact an experienced Elsmere boat accident lawyer. Do not hesitate. Call Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz, and Bhaya today to get started immediately.
