A crash off the coast of New Jersey left one man dead and another injured. The crash occurred during a preliminary event for the Grand Prix Race Off at Point Pleasant Beach. Two boats, Repeat Offender and Smith Brothers, were racing when, for an unknown reason, the Repeat Offender steered into the other boat’s path. Rough water led to Smith Brothers becoming airborne, and when it came down, it came down on top of the other boat. Serious head trauma led to the death of one of the boaters, while his two companions were hospitalized, at least one in critical condition.
According to one of the boaters, his boat had not seen choppy waters like those present that day since 2004. Police are still unsure what caused the accident. Was it operator error, as is the case with many vehicle accidents? Could the boat not handle those ocean conditions? Or was it something wrong with the boat itself?
What to Do After a Boating Accident
Boating accidents can be devastating. The first thing that boaters should do after a boat crash is to evaluate the situation. Are the boats still seaworthy? Make sure no one is in danger of sinking or drowning.
If anyone suffers injury, use your boat radio to call the United States Coast Guard. If you do not have a radio, call 911 and be sure to give them your coordinates.
After you have sought medical treatment, you should consider discussing your accident with a personal injury attorney. This is necessary to determine whether you might be eligible for damages to help you pay for things like medical bills, lost wages and damage to your boat. To be eligible, you must be able to prove four things relating to your accident:
- There was a duty of care for boat operators to act in a reasonable manner to protect boaters
- A party breached its duty of care
- The breach of duty led to injuries
- Those injuries led to costs that the victim (or family, in case of death) deserves to be reimbursed for
Our Middlesex County law firm offers free consultations for the victims of boating accidents and their families.
