You may be comfortable out on the water. Whether you boat regularly or enjoy the occasionally outing, you may be confident about your own or the operator’s skills. However, boating, like riding in a car, comes with risks. You may come to realize how dangerous boating can be only after you or a loved one are the victim of a serious boating accident off the California coast. If you are injured or a loved one is killed in a boating accident, do not hesitate to contact a Santa Ana boat accident lawyer from Harris Personal Injury Lawyers. We have years of experience in investigating and litigating boat accident injuries. Our skilled and experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorneys are here to help you pursue full and fair compensation. To learn how we will do that, contact us online or call 1-800-GO-HARRIS to schedule a free consultation. We are available 24/7, and if you cannot come to us, we will come to you.

Common Causes of Boating Accidents in Santa Ana, CA

At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, our Santa Ana boat accident attorneys accept cases involving all types of boat accidents and boating injuries. Contact us right away if you or a loved one were injured because of:

• Operator impairment: Drunk driving is as much a problem on the water as it is on the road. It is illegal and reckless for the operator of a boat to have consumed illegal substances or enough alcohol or prescription drugs to impair their judgement and abilities. If you were injured in a boat accident and you believe the operator of your or the other boat was intoxicated, call our Santa Ana boat accident lawyers right away.
• Speeding: Just as vehicles on the road are limited in how fast they should move, so are boats. Boat operators need to be aware of and adhere to speed restrictions. They also need to be aware of what speeds are too fast for certain water conditions. If an operator is speeding, they are likely to lose control of the boat or collide with a vessel or person on the water.
• Ejection from boat: An operator can cause a passenger to be ejected from the boat based on their speed and maneuvers. If you were injured after being thrown from the boat, or a loved one drown, call our Santa Ana boat accident lawyers right away.
• Capsizing: Negligent operation of a boat can caused it to turn on its side or completely over in the water. If you are injured or a loved one died because a boat operator caused the vessel to capsize, call a lawyer to discuss your options.
• Propeller accidents: Boat operators need to be aware of who is in the water around their vessel. Without keeping a careful lookout, the operator could strike a swimmer with the propellers of their boat, which will cause catastrophic injuries or death.
• Equipment failures: Boating accidents can occur when an important piece of boating equipment fails, which could be due to negligent maintenance of the boat or a part defect. This can be difficult to detect in the immediate aftermath of an accident, which is why it is essential to work with an experienced boating accident lawyer in Santa Ana.
• Legal and regulatory violations: Boat operators are required to adhere to federal and state boating laws and other regulations like the Rules of the Waterway. When an operator violates a law or regulation, and this leads to an accident, the operator may be held liable for your injuries.

Let us Investigate the Cause of the Boating Accident

If you or a loved one are the victim of a serious boating accident, and you are suffering from injuries or grieving the loss of a relative, we recommend you work with a Santa Ana boat accident attorney as soon as you can. In some situations, you may be confident that you know what caused the accident. You may have been struck by another vessel where a rowdy party was going on, which indicates the operator may have been intoxicated. However, in other situations, you may be unaware of what happened to cause the incident. In either case, you should have an experienced lawyer thoroughly investigate the incident. Boating accidents are often less straightforward than a car crash. You need to work with a personal injury attorney who has specific experience with boating incidents and collisions to ensure your legal team knows how to gather and analyze the relevant evidence.

Pursuing Compensation After a Boating Accident in Santa Ana

Following an independent and in-depth investigation, our Santa Ana boating accident lawyers will build you the strongest claim possible for compensation. Through a personal injury lawsuit, we can seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, disability and more. If your loved one was killed, then through a wrongful death claim, we will pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, the loss of your loved one’s society, care, companionship, and love, and your emotional distress. To learn more about the compensation you can demand following a boat accident, contact us at 1-800-GO-HARRIS. We have helped more than 5,000 clients obtain more than $300 million in court rulings and settlements.