Have you been injured in a boating accident? You’ll probably need to find a lawyer and take legal action to prove negligence and receive the compensation you need and deserve.
In 2017, the Coast Guard reported a total of 4,291 boating accidents in the United States. These accidents resulted in 658 deaths, 2,629 injuries, and approximately $46 million dollars of property damage. The same tally shows that 116 of these accidents occurred in Michigan, with 19 deaths, 36 injuries, and represented $758,510 in property damage.
According to 2018 registrations, there are just over one million boats registered in Michigan. As long as a boat has a lienholder, the owner is required to carry insurance. But once the boat is paid off, many boaters don’t continue the insurance because it is not required. Some boaters get coverage for their boat through their home owner’s insurance, but most don’t bother.
Even when fault seems obvious, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to recover damages. If the negligent person doesn’t have boaters’ liability insurance — and has no other appreciable assets — this person may not be able to pay you any damages.
However, just like for a motor vehicle accident, if a boater was negligent and you are injured, you have the right to file a personal injury claim to recover damages. These damages include your medical expenses, lost wages, and financial compensation for other nonmedical losses, which come into play when there is serious injury, permanent disability, and/or disfigurement.
Cochran, Kroll & Associates P.C. are personal injury attorneys helping individuals and families who have been injured in an accident to receive compensation for these injuries. We can meet with you at your convenience, learn more about your boating accident and injuries, and make initial recommendations. After this free consultation, if we decide to work together, it will be a contingent fee agreement. This means we only get paid when we win your case and you receive your settlement
If you have been seriously injured in a boating accident, you may not know the full extent of your injuries at first. If your injuries included spine, neck, or traumatic head injury, broken bones, or the serious impairment of a body function, then your injuries should be evaluated by an attorney with a legal and clinical understanding of what these injuries represent — in terms of reasonable compensation when making a personal injury claim.
Will you be able to return to the same job when you recover? Will you be able to return to work at all? How will you pay your medical bills in the future? Are you facing permanent disability and/or disfigurement?
Senior Partner Eileen Kroll specializes in medical cases — including medical malpractice — at Cockran, Kroll & Associates. Her training as a Registered Nurse is invaluable in helping us evaluate a client’s injuries for legal purposes, and if we work together we may recommend that you see a particular doctor or have a certain test conducted to support your claim.
Contact us today (24 hours) at 866-466-9912 or use our convenient online contact form.