Boating Accident Attorneys

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The U.S. Coast Guard’s latest statistics show that boating accident deaths have declined some. In most cases, those who were fatalities drowned because they were not wearing a life vest. In only about a third of fatalities was the death from something besides drowning.

Hundreds of people die each year in boating accidents, and hundreds more are injured. Injuries include traumatic brain injuries, amputations and spinal cord injuries. These are the types of personal injuries that may be seen in automobile accidents, but because boating accidents are very different than accident on land, you will need to respond to them in a much different way.

Boating accidents occur most often because the boat’s operator was not paying attention, the boat was travelling at excessive speed, the boat was being operated in a reckless manner, or the use of alcohol. Other reasons may include weather, mechanics, behavior of passengers or water skiers, improper anchoring, and overloading. Many of these reasons are the same as what may occur in an auto accident.

What to Do

If you have been involved in a boating accident, federal law requires that you report it. A boating accident report (BAR) must be filed if:

• Damage to the boat or other property is in excess of $2000
• A person suffers injuries that require more than basic first aid
• There is a complete loss of the boat
• A person disappears from the boat under circumstances that indicate injury or death
• A person dies

A BAR must be reported in the state where the accident occurred, the state where the boat is, or was, numbered, or if the boat does not contain a number, the state where it was used. The owner of the boat must make the report if the operator was killed or incapacitated.

Filing a BAR also has a time limit. Owners or operators must submit an accident report within:

• 48 hours of the accident if a person has died within 24 hours of the accident, a person requires medical treatment, or a person disappears from the boat
• Ten days of the accident if there is damage only to the boat or property

It is believed that many boating accidents can be avoided if the boat owner or the person who will be operating the boat completes a safety education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

If you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident due to the negligence of another in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area, please contact Stipe & Belote, LLP for an initial case consultation.