McAlester Boat Accident Attorneys

Protecting Your Rights after a Boating Accident in Oklahoma

While boating is a pleasant recreational activity, boat accidents are extremely serious. In 2013, the Coast Guard counted 4,062 accidents that involved 560 deaths, 2,620 injuries, and approximately $39 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents.

If you or a loved one was injured in a boating accident in Oklahoma, the attorneys at Stipe Law Firm are ready to explore your options for compensation, including medical expense reimbursement, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We have the experience and knowledge you need to get the results you deserve.

Consequences of Boating Accidents

Various kinds of boats, small and large, may be involved in accidents that cause severe or fatal injury. The Coast Guard regulates boating activities in America’s waterways and requires not only that boats be seaworthy but that they are equipped with specific kinds of lighting, navigation devices, warning horns, and a proper number of life jackets and flotation devices, as well as being operated by properly trained and licensed individuals.

Our McAlester boat accident attorneys can help you with all types of accident claims, including those that involve:

• Recreational boats. These include non-commercial fishing boats and speedboats, typically enjoyed by friends and family in recreational settings. Speedboats that are carelessly operated may collide with other boats, damaging or sinking them and causing their occupants to suffer serious injury or death. In 2014, there were 4,064 recreational boat accidents in which there were 610 fatalities. According to Coast Guard, in 2014, 23% of the related accidents were collisions between recreational vessels.
• Personal watercraft (PWC). These devices, also known as jet skis, are ridden like motorcycles and are popular for their speed and the freedom they give their riders. There is also significant risk of serious injury or death associated with them. According to a 1997 study by Iowa State University proposing a nationally required personal watercraft safety course, it was pointed out that 45% of accidents involving personal watercraft resulted in serious injury, while 2.1% resulted in someone’s death.
• Ferries and charter boats. Operators of these larger boats have an obligation to protect their passengers from hazards such as slip and fall accidents, flawed equipment, and even sinking. It is the responsibility of the boat operator to protect all passengers. If that person is negligent or reckless or operates while intoxicated, he or she may be held liable for any injuries that occur.

There are other things that make boating accidents dangerous, not the least of which is the risk of permanent brain damage caused by near-drownings. According to the Coast Guard’s 2014 statistics, 418 of the 610 boating deaths that occurred that year were drownings; 83% of those drownings (345) were caused by just 4 types of accidents: Flooding or swamping of the vessel (53), capsizing (122), leaving the vessel to swim, dive, etc. (53), and falling overboard (117).

If you or a loved one has been involved in a boating accident, you need to be represented by an attorney with the skill to get you the results you deserve.