Boat drivers must do their part in keeping passengers safe. Sometimes, drivers operate their boat in such a way that a good time quickly turns into a scary experience if a serious wreck occurs. After such an incident, victims may end up being rescued by professional personnel and ushered to the hospital for emergency care. For others, victims may sustain broken bones, head injuries, whiplash, and more. Anyone who has faced some degree of harm due to a boat accident, can meet with an attorney for assistance.
Driving a Boat While Under the Influence
Many people who go out on boats bring along food and alcoholic drinks, to ramp up the good time. However, alcohol is a leading factor in boat accident deaths. Being outside and under the warm sun can also exacerbate the effects of alcohol. The driver of the boat may feel fatigued and assume it is from the sun, when in fact they are more drunk than they thought. Passengers can hold boat drivers accountable by asking to take over the wheel and return to shore when they feel unsafe. An attorney understands that it may be awkward to ask to end the fun time early, but it is imperative to everyone’s safety to stop when alcohol is involved.
Missing Cues of Approaching Hard Ground
Grounding is a term used when boaters accidentally find themselves having driven onto land. In most instances, grounding gets you stuck on the water within a sandbar. In haste to get off the rocks, a boat driver may abruptly plow through without checking to see if the bilge had filled with water due to a crack in the hull. The boat may slowly start to sink if the boat was damaged from hitting hard ground. A boat driver that isn’t properly trained or is under the influence, may miss cues that they are approaching some sort of land (even if it’s in the middle of the water).
Poor Monitoring of Weather Conditions
Boat drivers must pay attention to weather conditions and when waterways will be congested. Issues such as hazardous waters and lack of navigational aids can be factors in boat-related accidents. A boat driver must monitor weather and cancel plans or head back to the shore when there is a chance of storm, lightening and/or high winds. As soon as the weather looks like it’s going to get bad, going back is the responsible choice. If your boat driver ignored warnings about bad weather which led to an accident and passenger injuries, please let your attorney know right away.
Unfortunately, a good time isn’t always what results during boating trips, especially if the driver was being careless or negligent to safety. We encourage victims of boat accidents to make an appointment with an attorney at their earliest convenience. They look forward to telling you about how they can seek restitution for what you endured.
Source: Personal Injury Lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, Rasmussen & Miner