Austin Boating Accident Lawyers

Texas Boating Accident Attorney

Boating accidents are quite common in Texas as Texas has over 3,300 miles of shoreline, and nearly 8,000 square miles of inland water. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which handles boating licensing and enforcement, there were 271 boating accidents in Texas in 2008, which included 61 fatalities and 173 injuries. That agency blames many boating accidents in Texas on alcohol consumption, but accidents can also be caused by simple carelessness from boat operators or their passengers.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a boat accident and you need a boating accident attorney in Texas, we can help. Injuries on boats are quite common and people are injured as a result of water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, and other kinds of water sports recreation activities. If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you need to call us today for a free case evaluation. There are never any up front fees for us to handle your case and you will only pay if your case is won. With over 15 years combined experience, our personal injury attorneys can be the difference in your case.

Boating Accidents

While less than ten percent of boating accidents result in fatalities, more than half of those occur because of capsizing and falls overboard, with 90% of those victims drowning. Of those who did drown, 86% were not wearing a life jacket. Types of recreational boating accidents may include:

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

There are numerous causes of boating accidents, of course, but a great many of them are preventable. Statistics show that the majority of these accidents are caused by operator inexperience or inattention. Eighty-four percent of all boating fatalities that occur on boats happen where operators have not completed a boating safety education course. Other reasons for boating accidents include:

Lack of experience for boat operators
Recklessness/careless boat operation
Operator inattention
Operating at an unsafe speeds
No proper lookout

Alcohol Consumption and Boating Danger

Another serious cause of boating accidents is the consumption of alcohol while operating a boat. This accounts for nearly one-third of all recreational boating fatalities, and is, in fact, the number one cause of boating accident deaths. Because the effects of alcohol are magnified while on the water, intoxicated boaters are more than ten times as likely to be killed in a boating accident because of diminished coordination, dehydration, susceptibility to hypothermia, and impaired judgment.

In Texas, a person is considered legally intoxicated if blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 or greater. Just like driving a car, it is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or barbiturates, so the penalties are stiff, and could include fines, prison time, community service, mandatory substance abuse counseling, and more.When operating a recreational vessel, steps can be taken to prevent a boating accident 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.

Boating accidents, as we’ve said, can and do happen for many reasons, but if you are the victim of an accident because of someone else’s negligence you are entitled to fair and reasonable compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident due to the negligence of another, contact the personal injury attorneys at Flores & Lopez LLP today.