New York Boat Accident Lawyer
There are nearly half a million marine vessels registered in the state of New York, including over 8,000 vessel registrations in Orange County alone. While fatal accidents and injuries have been steadily declining over the years, boating accidents are still responsible for hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths every year. Many of these accidents are caused by negligent or inexperienced boater operation, including speeding and alcohol use while boating. For accidents caused by another boater’s negligence on the Hudson River or Hudson Valley lakes, a boating accident attorney at Dupée & Monroe in Goshen can provide strong, effective representation to help you get the care and compensation you need to deal with your injuries and their impact on your life.
Leading Causes of New York Boating Accidents
The most common type of boating accident in New York, and the one responsible for causing the most injuries, is a collision between two or more vessels. Vessel registrations are on the rise, meaning more crowded waterways and increased chances of a crash. Half of all injury-causing New York boating accidents are collisions, followed by falls and ejections, fires and capsizing, and then various other reasons. Leading causes of boating accidents, according to the New York Parks Department’s 2016 Recreational Boating Report, include:
- Grounding
- Collision with another boat
- Collision with a fixed or floating object
- Capsizing
- Falls onboard boat or overboard
- Skier mishaps
- Struck by boat or propeller
- Fires and explosions
Of the known factors behind a boating accident, operator inattention is the leading cause of accidents, with machinery failure close behind. Operator inexperience, alcohol use and excessive speed are other major factors causing serious injury or death on Hudson Valley lakes and rivers. Alcohol or drug use while boating is especially dangerous. As with car accidents caused by drunk drivers, alcohol impairs judgment and reaction time, greatly increasing the likelihood of a crash. In the case of boating under the influence, the ability of alcohol to impair balance is another danger responsible for falls onboard and overboard which cause a great many boating accidents every year.
The most common injuries suffered in a New York boating accident are lacerations, head injuries, broken bones, contusions, hypothermia and burns. Less common injuries include back injuries, internal injuries, sprains and strains, amputations and contusions.
Stay Safe on Hudson Valley Lakes and Rivers. Call a boating accident attorney at Dupée & Monroe if an Accident Happens.
Driving with care and skill, showing courtesy to other boaters, and always wearing life jackets are some of the main ways you can stay safe and have fun on the water. However, these strategies cannot always protect you from another boater’s negligent or reckless behavior. If you have been injured in a Hudson Valley boating accident cause by another boater’s negligence, call Dupée & Monroe in Goshen at 845-294-8900 for a free consultation with an experienced and dedicated Hudson Valley boating accident attorney.
