Going out on a boat on a warm summer’s day is one of the many wonderful benefits the people of Michigan get to enjoy. From speeding across the sparkling blue Torch Lake to fishing in Lake Michigan, boating is a relaxing and fun way to spend time with family and friends. However, even with safety precautions, boating accidents still occur every year.
In 2018 633 people died and 2,511 people were injured in boating accidents in the United States. If you or a loved one suffered an injury or death in a boating accident, you have rights. The law offices of Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C., is here to help you get compensation for your injuries.
The fact that you were injured in a boating accident does not necessarily mean anyone was negligent. Negligence is defined as “a failure to act with reasonable care.” To win a personal injury lawsuit you, hopefully with a personal injury lawyer at your side, must prove that someone failed to act with reasonable care.
Evidence must be gathered, documents assembled, Coast Guard reports compiled, witnesses interviewed — and then all this must be presented effectively during settlement hearings and/or court proceedings.
Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C., is a personal injury law firm that helps individuals and families to seek and receive damages for injuries received in an accident — whether it is boating accident, motor vehicle accident, medical malpractice, a wrongful death lawsuit, or other accidents that result in injury. Our boat accident attorneys can help you prove that the negligence of another caused your injury.
Boating accidents — collisions between two boats or other watercraft, collisions with a fixed object (rock or dock), or grounding the vessel — can be caused by one or more factors. These can include operator inattention, careless/reckless behavior, excessive speed, boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and weather hazards like storms and/or fog.
There are all kinds of personal watercraft that ply the Great Lakes and throughout the State of Michigan — including jet skis, pontoon boats, sailboats, and motorboats — that share these extraordinary resources with larger charter craft and commercial vessels.
Identifying the negligent party and the contributing factors that actually caused the accident, is not always the same thing as identifying the liable party. In some cases, the liable party may include the boat operator, the boat owner, as well as the business responsible for boat maintenance.
In Michigan, you must file a claim within three years for a personal injury claim. This means that after a boating accident, you need to act fast. Contact your Michigan boating accident lawyer immediately after your injury so that we can begin gathering medical evidence to support your claim.
If you’ve waited more than three years, you may still be eligible to file a claim. This usually occurs when an injury from an accident is not discovered until after the three-year limitations has passed. These types of injuries aren’t always noticeable at first, but they can be diagnosed and traced back to a traumatic accident later. In these cases, you may qualify for a claim under the law of discovery as long as the claim is filed within six months of the injury’s diagnosis.
If you’ve been seriously injured, you are facing medical costs, lost wages, and other damages associated with your injuries that may be more difficult to quantify. Will you be able to return to the same job when you recover from your injuries? Will you be able to return to work at all? Are you facing permanent disability and/or disfigurement? Do you have a traumatic brain injury that has permanently altered your life?
The personal injury attorneys at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C., can help you recover full compensation for your current and future medical expenses and lost wages — as well as your lost earning capacity if you are permanently disabled. We can also help you recover property damage (boat repairs or replacement) and other costs, including the pain and suffering that is associated with the lifestyle changes related to your injuries.
We are ready to meet with you at a time and place that is convenient and comfortable for you — including your home or hospital room. After this free consultation, if we decide to work together, it will be on a contingency agreement. This means that we don’t get paid until you receive your settlement.
At Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C., we understand the complexities of maritime laws and personal injury claims. Eileen Kroll is also a registered nurse, which gives her the unique ability to navigate the complexities of a medical diagnosis and the intricacies of a personal injury lawsuit.
Let us help you get compensation for your boating accident injury before the statute of limitations runs out. Call us now at 866-MICH-LAW.
