When does a boat accident need to be reported?

A boating accident that amounts to more than a minor mishap should be reported to the A life lost An Injury that requires more than just first aid for treatment A missing person having disappeared under circumstances that indicate injury or death Total loss of the boat Damage of at least $2,000 to property, including (but not limited to) the vessel While a boat accident that only meets the criteria of $2,000 or more in property damage or total loss of a vessel must be reported within 10 days, accidents involving injury, death, or disappearance must be reported within 48 hours. For injured victims, a boating accident report serves the important purpose of documenting the accident and, in some circumstances, the negligence that caused the accident.

What injuries can you sue for in a boating accident claim?

Any boating accident injury that arises out of the negligence of one or more parties and is significant enough to affect your life may provide grounds for a claim for compensation. At Schehr Law PLLC, we have extensive experience assisting victims of boating accidents with claims arising out of injuries such as: Whiplash Broken bones Joint dislocations Lacerations, potentially serious enough to be permanently disfiguring Internal organ damage Concussions Traumatic brain injuries Spinal cord injuries, potentially resulting in partial or complete paralysis Limb loss or amputation, including due to crush injuries Burns Electrical shocks Carbon monoxide poisoning Hypothermia Each type of significant boating accident injury can affect your life in important ways. These injuries often require considerable medical care, and some may have lifelong effects on your mobility, function, and quality of life. These injuries may also keep you from working, making it difficult to support your family and pay your medical bills. The goal of Schehr Law PLLC’s Charlotte boat injury attorney is to recover compensation that makes you as whole as possible financially and addresses both your economic and non-economic damages.

What damages can you claim in a boating accident lawsuit?

Victims injured in a boating accident can seek financial compensation for a range of economic and non-economic losses, including: Medical expenses Lost wages Reduced earnings Pain and suffering Emotional distress Having a lawyer on your side can help you maximize your compensation because Schehr Law PLLC knows: The full array of possible damages recognized under North Carolina law How to accurately calculate all losses and project figure damages, including reduced earning capacity and future medical care Successful strategies for aggressively negotiating with insurers or presenting a strong case in court to secure you a settlement or award that fully covers your losses

How long do you have to file a boating accident injury claim?

Under North Carolina law, victims injured through someone else’s negligence generally have three years to file a claim for compensation. This deadline, called the statute of limitations, applies to boating accident victims as well as victims of other types of accidents. Three years may sound like a long time now, but investigating a boating accident, filing all of the required paperwork, and preparing your claim are time-consuming steps. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin looking for legal help. The sooner you retain an experienced boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, the sooner we can begin working to make your claim a success.

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Boating Accident Lawyer Charlotte Nc

Boating Accident Lawyer Charlotte, NC

Charlotte Boat Injury Attorney Navigating Personal Injury Claims in Mecklenburg County, Wake County, Guilford County, and Throughout North Carolina

When a day out on the water or an evening cruise leads to a devastating accident, you’re not sure where to turn. The guidance of a knowledgeable boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, can put you on the right path.

At Schehr Law PLLC, our team assists the injured with identifying all possible defendants and securing maximum compensation for all of their losses. We’re prepared to help you through the claims process and fight for the damages you deserve, starting today. Contact us for a free consultation.

Injured & Have Questions? We Can Help.

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980-577-3186

Boating Accident Claims in Charlotte, NC

Boating accidents in North Carolina lead to life-changing injuries. According to the United States Coast Guard, 143 boating accidents, including 20 fatal accidents, occurred in NC in 2022 alone.

The Atlantic Ocean isn’t the only site of boating accidents in North Carolina. In the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, locals and visitors enjoy boating, kayaking, canoeing, and riding jet skis in lakes such as Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, Lake Wylie, Lake James, Lake Lure, and Lake Waccamaw.

When recreational boating and watersports activities in these and other lakes, rivers, and bodies of water in and around the region cause significant injury, consulting a boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, is your most promising path forward.

Legal Rights to Compensation for Boating Injuries

If an accident takes place in a river or lake, local and state laws apply, while maritime laws typically cover accidents that occur in the sea. Victims of boating accidents in Charlotte, NC, generally have the legal right to pursue compensation from a negligent party who caused their accident. Depending on the circumstances, this party may include:

The operator of a vessel the victim was riding on
The operator of another vessel, including a vessel that struck a watercraft or an individual
The owner of one or more vessels
The manufacturer of a defective or malfunctioning product
The owner of a dock or marina
Any other party whose negligence caused your accident

It may not be immediately clear what caused an accident and who may have contributed to it through their negligent actions. Investigating the incident to identify defendants and gather evidence is a crucial part of the work a boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, will do for you.

How Schehr Law Can Help You

Get the Compensation You Deserve

A Proven Track Record of Successful Personal Injury Cases
Dedicated to Giving Every Victim a Voice
Get Results That Give You What You Deserve

Causes of Boating Accidents in Charlotte, North Carolina

Before your Charlotte boat injury attorney can establish the defendant’s negligence, we need to fully understand the cause of the accident. This requires a painstaking investigation.

Boating accidents happen for many reasons, but the underlying cause is often negligence on the part of at least one party. Common causes of boating accidents include:

Inattentive operators
Inexperienced operators
Operation of a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Overcrowding of the boat
Speeding
Operation of a boat without appropriate caution in hazardous waters or weather conditions
Failure to see other boats or objects in the water
Failure to maintain a boat and undergo inspection
Lack of onboard safety devices
Mechanical failures
Malfunctions or defects in the design or manufacture of any vessel or component
Poor design, construction, or maintenance of a dock or marina

By digging deep into the facts surrounding your boating accident and, if needed, consulting expert witnesses, a Charlotte boat injury attorney at Schehr Law PLLC can identify all factors that played a role in causing your accident and, in turn, all avenues for legal recourse available to you.

How Schehr Law PLLC Can Help

Just because North Carolina law recognizes your right to compensation doesn’t mean getting what you deserve is simple or straightforward. To recover monetary damages for your losses from a boating accident, you will need to go through the claims process, prove the defendant’s negligence to the insurance company, fully document your damages, and either negotiate a settlement or take your case to court.

The demands of the legal process can add a great deal of hassle when you’re already under physical, emotional, and financial stress due to your injuries. Schehr Law PLLC’s experienced boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, can help by handling all aspects of your claim for you.

We assist our clients by:

Thoroughly evaluating their case
Undertaking an extensive investigation
Gathering all evidence of negligence on the part of any defendant and all documentation of our client’s injury
Calculating the full extent of your damages, including all medical expenses, lost wages, permanent disability, pain and suffering, and property damage
Filing all paperwork, providing representation in all proceedings, and handling all interactions with the insurance company
Negotiating a settlement that fairly compensates you when possible
Preparing your case for trial in the event that the payout you deserve can’t be reached through out-of-court settlement negotiations

A Charlotte boat injury attorney can assist you with all types of boating accident matters, from collisions with other boats or fixed objects to accidents involving onboard fires, explosions, drownings, and more. Whether your injury arose out of an incident involving a personal boat, commercial boat, charter boat, speedboat, sailboat, hovercraft, or any other water vessel, you can benefit from speaking with our experienced team about your legal rights and potential options.

Why Choose Schehr Law PLLC

As a seasoned boating accident attorney, Schehr Law PLLC is committed to not just getting our clients compensation but caring for their needs and their families after a serious injury.

Making the Claims Process Hassle-Free

With our boating accident attorney on your side, seeking financial compensation changes from a big headache to a hassle-free process. We take on the responsibility of fighting the case on your behalf, handling all of the following:

Deadlines
Documentation
Paperwork
Investigation
Evidence presentation
Insurance company interactions
Legal proceedings
Settlement negotiations
Trial preparations
Actions needed for claim resolution

Without all of these demands on your plate, you can focus on getting better rather than being distracted by a legal claim.

Achieving Maximum Results Through Thorough Case Preparation and Aggressive Advocacy

Too many boating accident victims who try to handle a claim on their own end up with a substantially low settlement offer. If you’ve tried to handle a claim on your own and the insurance company refuses to offer a settlement that fully covers your losses, it’s time to turn to a professional.

Our combination of meticulously investigating your accident and documenting your injuries, advocating aggressively on your behalf, and building a personalized strategy based on the individualized facts of your case allows us to achieve results for our clients. Since our firm’s founding in 2020, we have already recovered more than $4 million for injured victims.

Representing the Injured at No Upfront Cost

Schehr Law PLLC assists victims with personal injury claims on a contingency basis. This means you’ll never pay upfront fees for our legal representation, no matter how complicated your claim is.

Contact a Boating Accident Lawyer in Charlotte, NC, Today at Schehr Law PLLC for a Free Case Review

Hiring an experienced boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, can lift the burden of a legal claim off of your shoulders. Our team understands what it takes to obtain positive results in a complex boating injury case, and we’re willing to fight relentlessly for you.

Don’t wait any longer to talk to an attorney. For help from a boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, contact Schehr Law PLLC online or call us today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Boating Accident Claims in Charlotte and Throughout North Carolina

A boating accident that amounts to more than a minor mishap should be reported to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Specifically, the operator (or owner) of the vessel has a legal duty to report a boating accident if it involves:
A life lost
An Injury that requires more than just first aid for treatment
A missing person having disappeared under circumstances that indicate injury or death
Total loss of the boat
Damage of at least $2,000 to property, including (but not limited to) the vessel
While a boat accident that only meets the criteria of $2,000 or more in property damage or total loss of a vessel must be reported within 10 days, accidents involving injury, death, or disappearance must be reported within 48 hours.
For injured victims, a boating accident report serves the important purpose of documenting the accident and, in some circumstances, the negligence that caused the accident.
Any boating accident injury that arises out of the negligence of one or more parties and is significant enough to affect your life may provide grounds for a claim for compensation. At Schehr Law PLLC, we have extensive experience assisting victims of boating accidents with claims arising out of injuries such as:
Whiplash
Broken bones
Joint dislocations
Lacerations, potentially serious enough to be permanently disfiguring
Internal organ damage
Concussions
Traumatic brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries, potentially resulting in partial or complete paralysis
Limb loss or amputation, including due to crush injuries
Burns
Electrical shocks
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Hypothermia
Each type of significant boating accident injury can affect your life in important ways. These injuries often require considerable medical care, and some may have lifelong effects on your mobility, function, and quality of life. These injuries may also keep you from working, making it difficult to support your family and pay your medical bills.
The goal of Schehr Law PLLC’s Charlotte boat injury attorney is to recover compensation that makes you as whole as possible financially and addresses both your economic and non-economic damages.
Victims injured in a boating accident can seek financial compensation for a range of economic and non-economic losses, including:
Medical expenses
Lost wages
Reduced earnings
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Having a lawyer on your side can help you maximize your compensation because Schehr Law PLLC knows:
The full array of possible damages recognized under North Carolina law
How to accurately calculate all losses and project figure damages, including reduced earning capacity and future medical care
Successful strategies for aggressively negotiating with insurers or presenting a strong case in court to secure you a settlement or award that fully covers your losses
Under North Carolina law, victims injured through someone else’s negligence generally have three years to file a claim for compensation. This deadline, called the statute of limitations, applies to boating accident victims as well as victims of other types of accidents.
Three years may sound like a long time now, but investigating a boating accident, filing all of the required paperwork, and preparing your claim are time-consuming steps. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin looking for legal help. The sooner you retain an experienced boating accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, the sooner we can begin working to make your claim a success.