South Carolina Boat Accident Lawyer | Charleston Law Firm

Located along the banks of the Atlantic Ocean, Charleston, South Carolina is known as a place full of boating activity. Whether you are spending the day engaging in water sports on Lake Marion, adventuring out on the ocean, or going for a cruise down the Ashley or Cooper Rivers, you may find your summer days on the water. While boating is a great recreation activity throughout the warm season, with the increase in boating comes the increased risk of boat-related injuries. Severe injuries that can result from boating accidents include:

  • Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Spinal Cord Damage
  • Bone and Ligament Injuries

Which Party Is Responsible in a Boating Accident That Results in Injury?

Depending on the injury suffered from a boating accident, the responsible party would be listed as the one who was negligent or failed to act with an amount of reasonable care. Severe injuries can result from a variety of boating accidents such as:

  • Collision With Another Boat – If your injury is the result of a boat on boat accident, the operator of the boat that was found to be violating boating safety laws or the rules of the water will be likely held as the responsible party.
  • Colliding With a Wave – If the operator of the boat collides with a wave causing you to be injured, it would have to be determined whether the collision was through negligence or accident.
  • Hitting Another Boats Wake – Injuries resulting from hitting another boat’s wake are the responsibility of the boat driver that created the wake if they are in a high traffic area.
  • Hitting a Submerged Object – If the boat operator collides with a submerged object due to negligence, such as traveling rapidly through an unknown area they would be held for any injuries you may incur as a result.
  • Not Having Proper Safety Equipment – If you are injured on a boat that is lacking in safety equipment the cost of damages would fall to the owner of the boat whether they are on the vessel or not.

Safe Boating Tips from the Coast Guard

If you’re going boating in South Carolina this summer, it’s very important to know how to stay safe on the water. The Coast Guard has to rescue many people every year, so they’ve put out some tips that can help keep boaters safe and prevent boat accidents.

First and foremost, they say that it’s crucial for people to have and use their life jackets. 75 percent of the deaths that happened while people were boating were linked to drowning as the main cause. Life jackets could have prevented many of these deaths, the Coast Guard says, keeping hundreds of people alive.

The Coast Guard also advised boaters to have fire extinguishers on boat. A fire on a boat can be tragic, especially when the boat is too far out for people to jump into the water and swim to safety.

On top of that, they said that sound devices could be very helpful. They said people should have whistles, air horns and things of this nature. These could be used to alert others of a problem if someone fell in or if a boat was damaged so that the radio no longer worked.

Finally, they stressed the necessity of really knowing the rules and regulations that go along with boating. These are easy to forget for people who just go out on the water once or twice a year. They said that knowing these basic regulations could improve boating safety dramatically, and that could mean that safety devices were not even needed.

One rule that was really stressed was not using a boat while under the influence of alcohol. This can lead to boat accidents and can make people more likely to drown if they fall overboard.

Contact a Trusted Advocate

If you have suffered a personal injury due to a boating accident, we can help you navigate the legal claims process. We work with you one on one to help you with your medical, property, and damage claims. Contact our Charleston boat accident lawyers today at 843-352-4149 or email today to set up your free consultation.