If you were injured in a boat accident, you may be entitled to recover damages. Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you fight back. Contact our Chicago boating accident lawyers. You can call (312) 929-2884 to discover how we can help you get the compensation you deserve.
When you trust Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers, you benefit from one of the best personal injury law firms in Chicago with 30+ years of combined experience. Since our founding in 2011, we’ve helped boat accident victims, grieving families, and other clients win tens of millions in settlements and jury awards.
Contact us today to discover the benefits of working with our top-rated team of litigators. Your first consultation is free.
How Our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Boat Accident
Why and how did your boat accident happen? Who’s at fault? What happens if more than one party is to blame? How can you be sure that an insurance company’s settlement offer is fair? What if they try to limit your payout by blaming you?
Our Chicago personal injury lawyers are ready to tackle these important issues for you.
Take this time and opportunity to focus on recovering and getting your life back on track. Let us handle the ins and outs of your legal claim and fight to get you the monetary award you deserve.
Count on us to:
- Carefully investigate the details of your boat accident
- Review the results of investigations conducted by local, state, and/or federal government authorities
- Analyze vessel maintenance records, toxicology reports, operator records, accident reports, vessel damage, photographs, video recordings, medical records, and other evidence that could help us build a strong claim for damages on your behalf
- Find and interview witnesses to the boat accident
- Bring in boating specialists and experts to provide insight into your case
- Fight back against claims of shared responsibility that could jeopardize a financial recovery
- Aggressively pursue a maximum settlement during negotiations
- File a lawsuit with the local court and advocate for a life-changing verdict at trial, if necessary
When you choose Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers, there’s no out-of-pocket cost for legal representation. Our boat accident attorneys in Chicago only get paid if we win your case. Call our law office in Chicago, IL to get started with a free case assessment today.
Illinois Boating Accident Statistics
There’s no shortage of rivers, lakes, streams, and other waterways in Illinois. This is particularly true in the Chicago area, where Lake Michigan, Rend Lake, the Chain O’Lakes Waterway, Lake Sara, Maple Lake, and other bodies of water are within a stone’s throw.
This makes boating incredibly popular in Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois. In fact, in 2021, 188,086 vessels were registered with the state. However, boating can be dangerous, as is evidenced by Illinois boating accident statistics.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, 93 boat accidents were reported statewide between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021.
That’s nearly 2 boat accidents a week.
This marked a significant increase in boat accidents in recent years. 2018 saw 68 boat accidents, 2019 had a total of 72 wrecks, and 81 boat accidents were recorded in 2020.
Despite the rise in accidents, fatalities declined in 2021. That year, 16 were killed. By contrast, in 2020, 21 boat accidents were fatal.
Decades of Experience Representing Clients After All Types of Boat Accidents in Chicago
Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers advocates for clients who have been involved in all types of boat accidents in Chicago, including:
- Motorboat accidents
- Sailboat accidents
- Kayak accidents
- Canoe accidents
- Fishing boat accidents
- Tour boat accidents
- Sightseeing boat accidents
- Rental boat accidents
- Commercial boat accidents
- Fatal boat accidents
Put our experience to work for you. Call our law office in Chicago to learn more about the benefits of working with our accomplished legal team today.
What Are the Leading Causes of Boat Accidents?
According to Illinois statistics, the leading causes of boat accidents include:
- Operator inattention
- Improper lookout
- Restricted vision
- Passenger negligence
- Drug and alcohol use
- Speeding
- Operator inexperience
- Safety regulation violations
- Equipment failure
- Congested waters
- Careless operation
Ultimately, operator negligence is the primary cause of most boat accidents in Chicago. The chance of an accident occurring increases significantly when an operator is drunk, distracted, inexperienced, or too aggressive at the helm.
Who’s Liable For My Boat Accident and Resulting Injuries?
Illinois law provides that anyone contributing to a boat accident, whether directly or indirectly, can be liable for the resulting damages.
While the specific facts of your case will determine liability, responsible parties could potentially include:
- Negligent boat operators
- Boat passengers
- Boat rental companies
- Employers of negligent operators
- Boat mechanics
- Boat manufacturers
- Government agencies
Our boat accident attorneys in Chicago will carefully evaluate your situation to identify all potentially liable parties. Once we know who’s at fault, we won’t stop until they’re held accountable.
Can I Get Compensation If I’m Partly at Fault for an Illinois Boat Accident?
You can recover compensation for injuries sustained in a boat accident as long as you’re not primarily at fault.
Illinois has a strict 51 percent bar to recovery under its modified comparative negligence law.
Sharing some – but not most – of the blame for a boat accident will lead to a reduction in damages.
Let’s say you’re injured in a boat accident on Lake Michigan and suffer damages worth $200,000. You’re assigned half of the blame for the accident. As a result, your financial settlement or jury award will be limited to $100,000.
Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers will work hard to defend you against any efforts to shift blame or limit your liability. We’ll demand hard proof of claims of shared fault and work to downplay your role in the accident.
What Damages Are Available to Chicago Boat Accident Victims?
When you file a claim for insurance benefits or a boat accident lawsuit, you’ll be able to seek recovery of compensatory damages.
Compensatory damages include:
- Economic damages to account for the costs and burdens related to your boat accident, and
- Non-economic damages to make up for the suffering and trauma you experience as a victim.
Through a successful claim, you can potentially get money for:
- Current costs of medical care and treatment
- Future medical bills
- Lost wages and earnings
- Disability
- Property damage
- Nursing care
- Funeral expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement
- Physical scarring
- Reduced quality of life
- Embarrassment
Punitive damages can also be sought if your boat accident lawsuit goes to trial. However, under Illinois law, a jury must find by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s actions exhibited a conscious disregard for your safety or were intentional.
Common Boat Accident Injuries
Boat accidents are particularly dangerous, thanks to the fact that they tend to take place out on the open water.
This puts victims at risk of suffering a wide range of injuries, including:
- Drowning
- Hypothermia
- Hypoxia
- Brain injury
- Complete or partial amputation
- Degloving injury
- Severe burns
- Nerve damage
- Back injury
- Neck injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Soft tissue injury
- Cuts and lacerations
- Catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death
Always seek emergency medical treatment after an accident on a boat in Chicago. Some injuries – particularly internal bleeding or other internal trauma – might not be evident right away. Prompt care can help to ensure that all of your injuries are diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Illinois Boat Accident Lawsuits?
A two-year statute of limitations will typically apply to boat accident lawsuits in Illinois.
So, you’ll have until the second anniversary of your boat accident or the date of a loved one’s wrongful death to seek damages for related costs and suffering.
You give up the right to take legal action once the deadline expires.
Don’t let that happen. Give yourself the edge you need to win your case by calling Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers for help right away.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Respected Chicago Boating Accident Attorney
Put yourself in the position to maximize your financial recovery by calling Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers for help after a boat accident in Chicago, Illinois.
Our Chicago boating accident lawyers have 30+ years of combined experience handling tough personal injury cases like yours. Our reputation as fierce and successful trial attorneys is well known throughout Chicago. You’ll show the insurance company that you’re serious about getting the payout you deserve.
Contact our Chicago law office at (312) 929 2884 to get started. A member of our legal team is always available to take your call and schedule your free consultation.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Chicago, IL
Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers
Address:
134 N La Salle St #2160
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone:
(312) 929-2884
Business Hours:
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Our personal injury law firm in Chicago, IL, also provides:
- Amusement Park Accident Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Assault Injury Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Aviation/Airplane Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Bad Faith Insurance Attorneys in Chicago, IL
- Bicycle Accident Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Birth Injury Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Brain Injury Attorneys in Chicago, IL
- Burn injury Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Bus Accident Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Car Accident Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Catastrophic Accident Attorneys in Chicago, IL
- Child Injury Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Construction Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Dog Bite Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Electric Scooter Accident Attorneys in Chicago, IL
- Lyft Accident Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Mass Transit Accident Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Medical Malpractice Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Motorcycle accident Attorneys in Chicago, IL
- Negligent Security Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Nursing Home Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Pedestrian Accident Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Premises Liability Attorneys in Chicago, IL
- Product Liability Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Sexual Assault Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Slip and Fall Accident Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Taxi Accident Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Train Accident Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Truck Accident Attorneys in Chicago, IL
- Uber Accident Lawyer in Chicago, IL
- Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Chicago, IL
- Workplace Accident Attorney in Chicago, IL
- Wrongful Death Attorneys in Chicago, IL