The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

As the weather gets warmer, many of us turn to water sports and recreational water activities to fill our time away from work.

Owning or renting a boat can certainly make for a fun, exciting day in the outdoors. Swimming, waterskiing, or just enjoying a nice ride on the water are all great ways to spend a summer day. Boats, however, just like every other form of transportation, are involved in accidents. According to the United States Coast Guard, there were over 600 fatalities attributed to recreational boating accidents in 2007.

Boaters, just like vehicle drivers, are supposed to follow traffic laws regulating factors such as speed and right-of-way. Often these rules are neglected, however, and result in accidents on the water. Our personal injury attorneys have seen a number of causes of boating accidents including:

Distracted drivers
Alcohol or drug use while operating a boat
Excessive speed
Underage drivers
Collisions with swimmers or skiers

Accidents occurring on water can be just as deadly as those taking place on the roadways. Although it seems it would be safer to crash on water, as opposed to on concrete, unconscious crash victims may easily drown. Also, the water makes it difficult to assess the crash site. It also makes it difficult for necessary rescue vehicles to reach the crash site.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a boating accident, please contact the experienced vehicle accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm, operating numerous offices nationwide, today.