Experience You Can
Depend On

Seldom highlighted reasons why boating accidents occur

On Behalf of | Jul 11, 2020 | Boating Accidents

Most individuals who hear about a boat accident may think about either intoxicated or inexperienced skippers recklessly operating their water vessels. Other factors are seldom spoken about but are often to blame for some of the most severe boating accidents.

The United States Coast Guard data shows that factors such as boats running out of gas, sinking, running aground and breaking down are often to blame for accidents. Boaters who fail to keep an adequate lookout and don’t equip their boats with proper safety gear are also at an increased risk of accidents. Fires and falls overboard are often to blame for catastrophic outcomes as well.

All skippers should calculate how many offshore they’ll be traveling and add extra gas in case something unexpected happens. If they don’t and they end up in treacherous waters such as above Niagara Falls, then they can put both themselves and others in danger of getting hurt or killed.

Many recreational water vessels are constructed from heavy-duty plastic and come with hull fittings that require plugging so that a boat doesn’t take on water and sink. Catastrophic results may occur if the boat’s plastic shell breaks down or the skipper neglects plug the hull fitting.

A boat’s electrical troubles can cause one of two different outcomes. They can result in mechanical failure or fires. Skippers need to perform regular maintenance on their boats to minimize the chances of it breaking down. Skippers must also have the appropriate equipment onboard their water vessels to extinguish fires should they break out.

Boaters face many different dangers when they head out on the open seas in and around Manhattan. It’s a skipper’s responsibility to utilize sound judgment before heading out on the water, to maintain their boat in good working order and to operate it safely. An attorney can hold any negligent parties accountable to the fullest extent that New York law allows if you have unnecessarily suffered serious injuries.