Are Pleasure and Recreational Boats Covered By Maritime Law?
When being faced with an accident or injury on the water, maritime law can seem complicated and overwhelming without the right help, and this applies to personal boats as well as commercial vessels. When you or a loved one are injured or killed while aboard a recreational or pleasure boat, you can be quickly overwhelmed by the complex and confusing legal issues surrounding maritime law, and what you can do to seek compensation and get the justice you deserve. Don’t despair – with the right maritime injury attorney, you have a remedy.
Under general maritime law, the owner of any boat or vessel on navigable waters in America (including rivers, lakes, and even the ocean) are all legally required to demonstrate and exercise reasonable care while out on the water. General maritime jurisdiction extends to all navigable waterways and applies to any boat or vessel, no matter what size, how it works (sail, power, paddle), or where it was sailing to.
Perhaps the best part of maritime law is that it remains uniform regardless of what state the incident happened in, and always supersedes the generally more restructive tort laws of any given state, particularly those beloved by the insurance companies by compromising the ability of law-abiding citizens to seek compensation. In a similar vein, organizing groups will try to limit your ability to obtain compensation, such as an organized ‘regatta’ trying to impose its own set of rules to override local laws or an insurance company trying to set a “limitation of liability” to restrict your ability to seek compensation over the value of the boat involved in the accident. No matter where you are, what organizations were involved, or how severe the accident was, maritime law will protect your rights exactly the same regardless.
What Can I Do If I’m In A Recreational or Pleasure Boating Accident?
If you were involved in an accident on the water that resulted in injury, property damage, or loss of life, you need to seek counsel as soon as possible. Just as auto accidents are governed by the rules of the road when operating a motor vehicle, the operation of pleasure and recreational boats and vessels are governed by the navigational laws of the water which can be complex and hard to comprehend. With an experienced maritime lawyer such as O’Bryan Law at your side, you can navigate your way to a satisfying resolution and get the justice you deserve for your hardships. Contact O’Bryan today and let us help you fight for your rights as the victim of an accident on the water.
