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Stockton Boat Accident Lawyer, Stockton Boating Injury Attorney

This year hundreds of people will die in a boat accident. In 2004, there were 10,984 vessels involved in 4,904 recreational boat accidents resulting in 676 fatalities and 3,363 injuries.* There were 12,781,476 boats registered in the United States that year. These accidents amounted to more than $35 million in property damage. It is estimated that only 5-10% of non-fatal boat accident instances are reported. A California boat accident lawyer can help you through the legal process and help obtain money for your injuries.

In 2004 there were approximately 895,000 boats registered in California, all with free access to the area’s waterways for fishing and other recreational activities. This state is home to more than 7,730 square miles of inland water and more than 3,427 miles of coastal shoreline. With the ready availability of such natural resources, the number of boats has been steadily increasing.

According to the Department of Boating and Waterways (http://www.dbw.ca.gov) California ranks second nationally for the number of boat accidents and fatalities.

Boat Accident Causes. Most boating accident injuries are preventable as a majority are caused by operator inexperience or inattention. Statistically, 80% of all boating fatalities occur on water vessels where the operator has not completed a boating safety education course. The primary causes of accidents include:

• Operator inattention
• Careless/reckless operation
• Operator inexperience
• Operating at an unsafe speed
• No proper lookout
• Boating Accidents & Alcohol

Alcohol consumption accounts for nearly one-third of all recreational boating fatalities, a figure that is increasing. Alcohol use is the number one cause for boat accident deaths. Most boaters do not realize that the effects of alcohol are magnified while on the water. It is estimated that intoxicated boaters are more than 10 times as likely to be killed in a boating accident because of:

• Diminished coordination
• Susceptibility to hypothermia
• Dehydration
• Impaired judgment

It is illegal to operate a water vessel, or allow others to do so, while under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or barbiturates. In California, a person is considered legally intoxicated if blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 or greater; for youths under 21 the BAC cannot exceed 0.01. Penalties may include fines, prison time, community service, mandatory substance abuse counseling, and more.

A Stockton boat accident lawyer from The Friel Law Firm is highly experienced in the field of boat accident law. Our expert case managers and investigators will take care of getting the proof needed to recover your damages when you’ve been injured. Our Stockton boating injury attorney will use every available resource to help you. Contact us for your free injury consultation today.

Type of Boat Accident
In the U.S., vessel collisions are the most common type of accident and resulted in over one-fourth of the reported injuries and $13.4 million in property damage in 2003. Eight percent of all boating accidents result in fatalities. More than half of boating accident fatalities occurs because of capsizing and falling overboard, with 70% of those victims drowning; of those drowning, 86% did not wear a life jacket. Types of recreational boat accidents include:

• Capsizing
• Falling overboard
• Collisions with another vessel or structure
• Fire
• Sinking, flooding
• Explosions
• Disappearance of vessel or passenger

A Stockton boat accident lawyer from The Friel Law Firm is highly experienced in the field of boat accident law. Our expert case managers and investigators will take care of getting the proof needed to recover your damages when you’ve been injured. Our Stockton boating injury attorney will use every available resource to help you. Contact us for your free injury consultation today.

Boat Accident Prevention
When operating a recreational vessel, steps can be taken to prevent a California boat accident injury or to minimize the damage if an accident occurs:Always wear life jackets and dress for possible immersion. Be aware that cold weather is more dangerous: there are fewer boaters and patrols to rescue those in distress, and the water is much colder. Do not drink alcohol while on the water. When in larger bodies of water, take advantage of available distress-alerting and position-indicating technologies.

What if a California boat accident occurs? The operator of a water vessel in this state is required to file an accident report with the proper authorities when any of the following conditions occur:

• A life is lost due to the accident
• Someone sustains an injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid
• Property damage in excess of $500, or complete loss of the vessel
• A person disappears from the vessel under circumstances that indicate death or injury
• If the operator is unable to file the report, the owner must file. In California, death, disappearance and injury reports should be filed immediately; damage reports must be filed within 10 days.

A Stockton boat accident lawyer from The Friel Law Firm is highly experienced in the field of boat accident law. Our expert case managers and investigators will take care of getting the proof needed to recover your damages when you’ve been injured. Our Stockton boating injury attorney will use every available resource to help you. Contact us for your free injury consultation today.

THE FRIEL LAW FIRM
A Northern California Personal Injury Law Firm

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Stockton Attorney Lance V. Friel handles cases involving Automobile Accidents, Wrongful Death, Brain Injuries, Big Rig Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Dog Bite Injuries, Slip and Fall Accidents and Spinal Cord Injuries in the state of California and in the cities of Stockton, Galt, Manteca, Lodi, Modesto and Tracy.

Stockton Lawyer Disclaimer: No information contained in this site is considered Legal Advice, nor are users of this site entitled to any benefits of an Attorney-Client relationship, nor is any assumed to exist until an attorney has accepted your case. If you would like to submit a case for a free analysis please do so either on our Free Case Evaluation page and an attorney from our office will contact you to discuss your case.