Five Things to Know About Boating Injury Liability in Louisiana
In summer, more Louisiana residents are planning boating excursions, and many visitors to the state will enjoy recreational boating while in and around the Shreveport area. Yet boating can be extremely dangerous, and people can suffer serious and deadly injuries. What do you need to know about boating injury liability in Louisiana? Consider the following five things.
- You May Have Multiple Options for Seeking Compensation for a Boating Injury
Determining liability often impacts your ability to seek compensation, but not always. You may be able to seek compensation by filing an insurance claim regardless of liability. You also may be able to file a lawsuit to seek compensation after gathering evidence to prove that a particular person or party is responsible for your injuries.
- Liability Can Arise Under Various Circumstances
There are various ways in which a party can be liable: for negligent operation of a boat or vessel (such as distracted boating or intoxicated boating), negligent maintenance, or defective design or manufacture, for example.
- More Than One Party Could Be Liable
Depending upon how you sustained a boating injury, more than one party could be liable. It is possible that the vessel operator and the boat owner, for example, could be liable. Or, for instance, the operator and the designer of one of the boat components could both bear some responsibility for your injury.
- You Should Document the Scene Where You Got Hurt
Whether you are planning to file an insurance claim, or you will likely move forward with a civil lawsuit, it is important to document the scene where you got hurt as best as you can. Take photographs of injuries and vessel damage, including to your vessel and to any other vessel or vessels involved in a boating collision. Also be sure to obtain contact information for anyone involved in the incident and for any witnesses.
- You Should File a Claim Quickly Because You Might Only Have One Year to Do So
Whenever you get hurt as a result of another party’s negligence or intentional wrongdoing, you will only have a limited time to file a civil lawsuit against that party in order to seek financial compensation. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations. Under Louisiana law, many boating injury cases and other types of personal injury cases have a one-year statute of limitations, and the clock begins ticking on the date the injury occurred. This is not a lot of time, so you should talk with a lawyer quickly about filing a claim before the clock runs out.
Contact a Shreveport Boating Injury Attorney Today
If you were injured recently in a boating collision, or if your child or another family member got hurt while boating in Louisiana, it is important to speak with one of our Shreveport boating injury lawyers about your options. You could be eligible to seek financial compensation through an insurance claim or by filing a civil claim against the party who is responsible for the injury. Do not hesitate to contact us to learn more about how we help people in Louisiana with personal injury cases and to find out more about how we can assist you with your case.
Sources:
boatingsafetymag.com/safety-tips/top-11-causes-boating-accidents/
legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=110515
