Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeInsuranceWhat to Do if You are Injured in a Boating Accident

What to Do if You are Injured in a Boating Accident

With the summer upon us, many people are on vacation relaxing. Usually, it involves time spent by or on the water.

Chances are that you will spend some time on a boat this summer. Whether it is yours or belongs to a friend, nothing says vacation quite like hitting the waves on a boat.

Unfortunately, boating accidents rise when there are too many people on the water. And they tend to be too relaxed to be concerned about safety. This raises the risk of being in a boating accident considerably.

While many people are prepared for a car accident and know exactly what to do, fewer know how to react when they are injured in a boating accident. In this article, we will go over exactly what you need to do when you are injured in a boat accident.

Call for Help

No matter how minor a boat accident seems, you need to call for help right away. Even if the other boat pilot insists that there is no need, you should call 911 on your phone or the Coast Guard on your marine radio.

The fact is that boats can sink much faster than you realize. In the aftermath of an accident, you may not notice certain details that reveal a much larger problem.

Not only that, but injuries will need to be dealt with ASAP. Your own injury may very well be among them. The Coast Guard will have personnel trained to perform life-saving techniques and treat injuries while also making sure the vessels are still seaworthy.

Time is of the essence when you are at sea as it can take time to get to you. Make sure to have the right coordinates for where you are to give to the responders.

Document Everything

When you are back on land and want to call a personal injury lawyer like Skyview Law, the more information you give them the better your case is going to be when you are ready to go to court.

Take as many pictures of the accident as you can if you are capable and your injuries allow for it. A picture is worth 1,000 words and can convey exactly what happened better than conflicting oral reports of the accident. In many cases, it can be the difference in settlements as it shows the type of damage that occurred much better than anything else.

Make note of the time, place, who was piloting, and any other pertinent details.

Once you are back on land, make sure to document anything related to your injury. Make sure to detail what the doctors told you and what was done for treatment. If there were any out-of-pocket expenses related to the injury make sure to save the receipts.

Then, make notes of every phone call made to insurance companies or the authorities with details on who you spoke with, the time and date of the call, and what was said.

More from MoneyVisual

Recent Posts

Most Popular

Educational Topics