Gulf Coast Boat Accident Attorneys
Whether they are fishing boats, shipping boats, oil ships, or pleasure boats, the Gulf Coast sees thousands and thousands of ships each year. Accidents in the Gulf of Mexico near the Gulf Coast states like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas can involve serious injuries and even death.
For help with your Gulf Coast boat accident case, call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today. Our Gulf Coast boat accident attorneys represent victims of boating accidents on the Gulf Coast, and we fight to help our clients get compensation for their injuries and justice from at-fault employers, boat operators, and other responsible parties after serious accidents on the water. For a free case consultation, call us at (866) 386-1762.
Who Can I Sue for a Boat Accident on the Gulf Coast?
Accidents throughout most of the Gulf of Mexico in U.S. waters are governed by U.S. maritime law. Under this legal system, you can sue the people who caused your injuries to get you the compensation you need for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. After an injury, it is important to talk to a Gulf Coast boat accident attorney and understand whom you should sue so that you can streamline your claim and get the maximum compensation from the right parties.
Many boat accidents involve collisions caused by the operator. When a boat operator crashes into an object or another boat, they can usually be held responsible for any mistakes or errors that led to that crash. If you were a passenger on the boat that caused the crash or the other boat that they crashed into, you can usually sue the at-fault operator.
Other boat accidents involve problems or malfunctions with the equipment on the boat that lead to injuries or even explosions and fires. If this kind of accident caused your injuries, you could be entitled to sue the owner or operator who should have been responsible for keeping the boat in good operating condition.
Other accidents involve dangers and accidental injury on the ship. Even without a crash, people could be injured because of faulty equipment, lifting or carrying accidents, slip and fall accidents, and other problems aboard the ship.
Lastly, many people face injuries each year in overboard accidents. Victims could fall from the ship at night or go missing after suspicious circumstances, potentially suffering serious injuries in the fall or suffering drowning injuries. If you survive a drowning accident, you could still face serious long-term injuries. If your loved one was killed in a drowning accident or went missing after falling overboard in the Gulf Coast area, our lawyers may be able to sue the boat operators and owners for your loss.
Seeking Compensation for Gulf Coast Boating Accidents
If you were injured after a boating accident, you should talk to a lawyer about how to best get compensation. Most injuries to boat workers, sailors, and crewmembers cannot be resolved through workers’ compensation because these insurance plans and systems do not usually cover ship workers. Instead, victims of work injuries on boats will have to sue in court.
Other injury victims can also sue for their injuries in many cases. The boat operator who hit you or the owner of the boat where you were injured might have boater’s insurance to cover some of the damages after an accident. However, their insurance might not cover all of your damages, and you might be better off taking your case to court.
If you file an insurance claim for your injuries, you will be left with whatever the insurance company decides is fair, and you will only be able to claim damages that are covered under the insurance policy. In many cases, this means leaving out damages for pain and suffering and only recovering a portion of the damages you faced for medical care and lost wages.
When you take your case to court, the court can compensate you for the full value of any damages that you faced. This can mean covering the cost of emergency medical transportation, care at a hospital, and rehabilitation. You can also claim compensation for wages you lost if your injury kept you from work, plus any ongoing or future damages you will face from permanent or long-term injuries.
Calculating Damages for Boat Accident Victims in the Gulf Coast
Talk to an attorney for help understanding what these damages are worth. In many cases, the at-fault boater’s attorneys will try to calculate low damages, leave off certain areas of damages, and negotiate low-cost settlements for their clients. If you accept damages that are too low to cover your needs, you likely will not be able to go back later and claim additional damages because the case will already have been settled.
Your lawyer can help you calculate your damages by collecting medical bills and other documentation that show how much your injuries were worth. Furthermore, your lawyer can use financial experts and formulas to project how much your medical care or lost wages will be worth going forward so that you can claim ongoing damages for your injuries as well.
Call Our Boating Accident Lawyer for Injuries on Ships and Vessels on the Gulf Coast
Boating accidents on the Gulf Coast can leave fishermen, crewmembers, and boaters with serious injuries that require hospitalization, ongoing treatment, and long-term recovery. For help seeking compensation in your case, call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today. Our Gulf Coast boat accident attorneys represent victims in boating accident claims and fight to help them get the compensation they need in lawsuits against responsible boat owners and operators. For a free case consultation, contact our Florida boat accident lawyers today at (866) 386-1762.
