Boat Accident Attorney in Roanoke
Virginia is home to beautiful boating areas, both in the Roanoke area and along the coast. But what starts as a relaxing day on the water can turn dangerous quickly if an accident occurs. If you suffered injuries in an accident due to someone else’s carelessness, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses. A Roanoke boat accident lawyer from Lichtenstein Law Group PLC can review your case and fight for the money you deserve.
Our boat accident law firm crafts tailored, compelling legal arguments and case strategies to pursue maximum compensation for injured people. With nearly a century of combined legal experience, our boat accident attorneys are skilled negotiators and trial lawyers unafraid to demand maximum compensation during settlement talks or in the courtroom. We deliver top-quality service at no upfront cost, only collecting a fee if we recover money for you.
You deserve the best legal counsel to help you pursue compensation for what you’ve lost. Contact Lichtenstein Law Group PLC to discuss your legal options with a knowledgeable boat accident lawyer in Roanoke.
What are the Boating Laws in Virginia?
In Virginia, boat operators must follow laws to ensure the safety of their watercraft, passengers, and anyone nearby.
- Minimum age limits – Boaters must be at least 16 years old to operate a personal watercraft or boat less than 16 feet long (or 14 years old after completing a boating safety course).
- Safety education – Operators must complete a boating safety course to operate a boat with a 10-horsepower engine or more.
- Accident reporting – Operators must file a formal written report after a boat accident that causes damage valued at $2,000 or more, or an accident resulting in an injury requiring medical attention beyond first aid or in a person’s disappearance.
- Alcohol – Operators must follow the state’s DUI laws, which impose a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08. There is a zero-tolerance policy for boaters under age 21.
- Consent for DUI testing – Under Virginia’s Implied Consent law, boaters must comply with a breath or blood test to determine whether they operated a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- No Wake Law – The state’s No Wake Law sets a wake speed limit for boats in certain areas, which is the lowest possible speed to maintain steerage and headway. It also prohibits boaters from exceeding wake speed in marked areas or near docks, piers, boat ramps, and swimmers.
- Move Over Law – Operators must slow to no-wake speed when within 200 feet of an emergency or police watercraft with lights flashing.
Is Certain Equipment Required on a Boat?
Virginia law requires boats to have specific safety equipment and engine components to ensure the safe operation of watercraft, including:
- Wearable lifejackets for everyone aboard
- Throwable life preservers
- Fire extinguishers
- Engine cutoff switch (for boats under 26 feet)
- Backfire flame arrestor
- Engine ventilation system
- Mufflers (for inboard engines)
- A horn, bell, or whistle
- Visual distress signals
- Navigational lights
What are Popular Bodies of Water Near Roanoke?
The Roanoke region has some of Virginia’s most popular boating opportunities, including:
- Carvins Cove Natural Reserve
- Claytor Lake
- Smith Mountain Lake
- Loch Haven Lake
- Douthat Lake
- Lake Moomaw
- Philpott Lake
- Roanoke River
- Bullpasture River
- Cowpasture River
- Jackson River
- James River
- Little River
- Maury River
- New River
- Pigg River Blueway
- Smith River
- Upper Blackwater River Blueway
What are Some Types of Boating Accidents in Roanoke?
Some of the most common types of boating accidents that occur on lakes and rivers around Roanoke include:
- Watercraft collisions
- Striking underwater hazards
- Running aground
- Hitting swimmers/divers
- Capsizing/sinking
- Fires/explosions
- Falling overboard
What are the Common Causes of Boating Accidents?
Carelessness and recklessness on the part of boat operators or vessel crewmembers are among the leading causes of boat accidents in Virginia.
The leading causes of boating accidents include:
- Speeding
- Boating in adverse weather or water conditions
- Operator inattention
- Inadequate lookout
- Operator inexperience
- Failure to follow navigational rules
- Boating too close to swimmers/divers
- Boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Drowsy/fatigued boating
- Distracted operation of a watercraft
- Inadequate maintenance
- Defective vessel equipment or machinery
- Failure to consult navigational charts or identify hazards
- Carrying too many passengers or excessive weight
Can a Boat Passenger Sue for Injuries in a Boating Accident?
A boat passenger injured in a boating accident may have the right to file a lawsuit against the person or party to blame, whether the boat’s operator, its owner, a passenger, or another boater. You could also have a valid claim against a manufacturer if faulty equipment led to the accident. Talk to a Roanoke boat accident lawyer today.
Who Can Be Held Responsible in a Multiple Boat Collision?
Anyone whose negligence or recklessness contributed to a multiple-boat collision will be at least partially liable for any injuries or property damage that resulted from it. A detailed investigation of the incident will help determine what happened and why – and who is ultimately responsible.
What Happens if Someone Dies as a Result of a Boat Crash?
When a boat accident results in a fatality, the victim’s family may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim against the operator or other parties at fault. In Virginia, the personal representative of a decedent’s estate (often called the executor) may file a wrongful death claim for the victim’s surviving spouse and children, surviving parents or siblings, or any surviving family member entitled to inherit from their estate.
Financial recovery available in a wrongful death claim includes compensation for:
- Mental anguish
- Loss of guidance, companionship, and comfort
- Loss of income and financial contributions
- Loss of the decedent’s services to the household
- Medical expenses for the decedent’s final injury
- Reasonable funeral and burial expenses
What Damages Can Be Recovered From a Boating Accident Lawsuit?
The damages you can recover through a boating accident lawsuit depends on the specific harm you suffered but could include money for:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
- Costs of long-term care for accident-related disabilities
- Lost income and job benefits due to temporary or permanent disabilities that prevent you from working
- Physical pain and anguish
- Emotional trauma or distress
- Lost enjoyment and quality of life
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Boat repair expenses
What is the Deadline for Filing a Boat Accident Lawsuit in Virginia?
Under Virginia’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims, you usually have two years to file a lawsuit after a boat accident. Filing suit after the limitations period expires may result in the dismissal of your case and the loss of your right to recover compensation. Roanoke personal injury lawyer.
Contact a Roanoke Boat Accident Lawyer
Hurt in a boating accident in the Roanoke Valley? Contact Lichtenstein Law Group PLC today for a free consultation to learn how a Roanoke boat accident lawyer can fight for the financial recovery you deserve.
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