South Carolina Boat Accident Lawyers
Serving the communities of Orangeburg, Lexington, Camden, South Carolina
What to do if You're in a Boating Accident
The latest statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard (2007) show a drop in the number of deaths as a result of boating accidents from the previous year. However, in almost all cases, the victim was not wearing a life jacket, and in over 66 percent of cases, the victim drowned. In one out of three boating accidents reported, the death was from something other than drowning.
While hundreds of people are killed every year in boating accidents, there are hundreds more who are seriously injured. The injuries run the gamut, and include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and amputations. Though these types of injuries can occur in auto accidents, boating accidents are different in many ways, and if you have been involved in a boating accident, you will need to respond in a much different way than you would if you were in an accident on dry land.
According to the Coast Guard, a majority of the deaths and injuries in boating accidents were due to the boat operator not paying attention, carelessness or recklessness by the boat operator, excessive speed, and alcohol use. Other reasons include the weather, problems with the mechanics of the boat, and such things as the behavior of other passengers or skiers, overloading, and improper anchoring. However, for the most part, these accidents can be easily translated into the same reasons people are killed and injured in auto accidents.
File a Report
If you are in a boating accident, you must report the accident as required by federal law. You must file a boating accident report (BAR) when:
- A person is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid
- Damage to the boat or other property exceeds $2000
- There is a complete loss of the craft
- A person disappears from the boat under circumstances indicating death or injury
- A person dies
The BAR must be reported to the state where the accident occurred, the state where the boat was numbered, or the state where the boat was used if it does not contain a number. If the operator of the boat had died or is unable to make the report, the owner of the boat must do so. There is also a limited amount of time in which to make the BAR. Operators or owners must submit:
- Accident report within 48 hours of the occurrence if a person dies within 24 hours of the accident, a person requires medical treatment, or a person disappears from the craft
- Accident reports must be submitted within ten days of the occurrence if there is damage to the craft or property only
The Coast Guard believes that many of the accidents that are reported can be avoided if the owner or operator of the boat completes a boating safety education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).
If you or a loved one has been involved in a boating accident in the Camden, Sumter, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, or Columbia, South Carolina area, please contact the experienced boating accident attorneys at McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates, P.A. for an initial consultation.
With offices in Aiken, Camden, Columbia, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Sumter, South Carolina, our personal injury lawyers are ready to serve you. Call us today at 1-800-694-0994.
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