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Jet Ski Accident Attorneys
Residents and visiting tourists enjoy the excitement, fun, and water sports experience in the Chicago area. Still, Illinois' jet ski andboating accidents often pose a severe risk to operators and passengers with potentially life-threatening injuries.
Many outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the inviting waters of America’s waterways, oceans, streams, rivers, and lakes, including Lake Michigan along Chicago’s shoreline. Unfortunately, many water activities, including jet skis, cause significant hazards, leading to severe injury or death.
Did a personal watercraft cause your injuries or property damage? Did you lose a loved one in a jet ski accident caused by the negligence of another? A Chicago boat accident lawyer at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can ensure you receive financial compensation for your damages, including lost wages, medical bills, pain, and suffering.
Contact a personal injury attorney today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) to schedule a free consultation to discuss your particular case. Our legal team holds outdoor equipment and jet ski rental companies financially accountable for personal watercraft accidents.
Accidents Involving Jet Skis, Boats, and Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Often, companies that rent various watercraft equipment do not provide sufficient instructions to their renters. Insufficient boating training often leads to horrific jet ski accidents and severe injuries in preventable death.
The jet ski operator’s inexperience makes them incompetent to use the equipment in a restricted area or a boating lane. Jet ski accidents cause serious personal injury to equipment operators, boaters, and passengers.
Alcohol and drug use can cause horrific accidents when operating a boat or jet ski. Many catastrophic boating events happen every year as a result of congested traffic on America's waterways.
The personal watercraft act stipulates that all riders must wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices such as life jackets at all times while operating the boats.
Many boat accident victims with injuries will hire a jet ski accident lawyer to ensure they receive the financial compensation they deserve for the personal injury damages.
Personal Watercraft (PWC) Vessel Collision
A PWC driver can be seriously injured if involved in an accident. An operator error in boat accidents is the leading cause of injuries. Unlike other vehicles, such as cars or motorcycles, boats don't have brakes. Additionally, alcohol can play a role in boating accidents.
The dock is the busiest place on the waterway. Jet skiers zip in and out of the water, boats cruise by, and people are always coming and going in the area. Consequently, many accidents happen here all the time.
A PWC has the potential to create waves and a large wake which can create a danger for other vessels and swimmers. If a vessel hit you while you were skiing, and you were injured, you may have a personal injury claim.
Safety Measures to Prevent Personal Watercraft (PWC) Accidents
Be sure to complete training courses and familiarize yourself with the proper safety procedures before taking your jet ski out on the water to have fun. The anchored or moored vessel is obligated by law to have its navigation lights on at night.
The age limits for PWC drivers vary by state but are generally between 16 and 21 years old. When a jet ski hits the shore, it can cause serious injury to the rider. If you're involved in a jet ski accident, seek medical attention immediately.
Boat services can be beneficial if you have a jet ski accident. If you are not familiar with the area, they can help you get to a safe place to get medical assistance.
A signaling device is an important safety feature on a jet ski. It helps other PWC users know your location and can prevent collisions.
Common Causes of Jet Ski Accidents Waverunners Crashes
In many boat incidences, outdoor enthusiasts could have avoided jet ski accidents if it were not for the unsafe and reckless operation or negligent acts. Many jet ski injuries result from intoxicated or reckless PWC operators or the negligence of jet ski rental companies.
Most accidents happen with other personal watercraft (PWC) or due to other common causes that include:
- Colliding with various objects. including debris, sand bars, buoys, docks, poles, and other jet skis
- Falling off the personal watercraft (PWC) at a high rate of speed
- An accident caused by jet-skiing and sea-doo equipment failure
- Jet ski accidents resulting from inadequate instruction
- Renters with a lack of experience who fail to obey United States Maritime laws and regulations
- Not wearing life jackets
- A jet skier traveling at high speeds
- Personal watercraft constructed with defective products
These personal injury accidents often involve a visit to the emergency room followed by extensive medical treatment, hospitalization, and time off from work to heal.
Compensatory and Punitive Damages in Personal Watercraft (PWC) Accidents
Compensatory damages are awarded to a plaintiff to make up for the injuries and losses that they have suffered as a result of another party's negligence.
Punitive damages are available in a jet ski collision lawsuit if the defendant's conduct was so reckless or careless that it rose to the level of gross negligence. Gross negligence is defined as a wanton or reckless disregard for the safety of others.
Finding Legal Remedy for an Individual Injured in a Jet Ski Accident
Filing a personal injury claim for financial compensation when involved in personal watercraft (PWC) accident can be complicated and confusing. While there is little difference between a Chicago water accident and a Florida jet ski accident that ranks first in the nation, determining which party is liable can be complicated.
It often requires the skills of a reputable personal injury lawyer that can prove others’ negligence. Factual claims to obtain monetary funds are often based on various contributing factors that include:
- Negligence: Most successful liability injury claims and lawsuits are based on the negligence of others. Skilled attorneys can usually show legal responsibility by demonstrating that theboat victim would not have suffered injuries if not for the responsible party's action.
- Filing a Third-Party Operator Suit: Others that could be responsible for causing the accident include operators exceeding the posted speed limit, inattention, operating a motorboat while intoxicated, riding too closely, or operating contrary to Illinois state waterway rules. Any person at fault could be held legally responsible. Skilled personal injury attorneys couldsue third-parties to maintain their clients' rights to ensure they are compensated.
- Suing the Jet Ski Manufacturer or Rental Company: Sometimes,boat equipment manufacturers could be liable for the accident or severe harm when the victim's personal injury attorney proves that the equipment was broken or defective. Jet ski rental companies may be held responsible if the liability waiver is not legally binding or poorly written. The rental company may not have adhered to jet ski laws regulated by the state of Illinois or provided properly maintained or malfunctioning equipment.
- Other Factors: Weather conditions, dangerous waters, drug or alcohol use, failure to follow specific waterway rules, and the force of wakes and waves can also serve as the foundation for a strategy to prove the negligence of a responsible party.
Filing a Claim Against a Responsible Party for a Person Injured in an Illinois Jet Ski Accident
Injured victims can file a civil lawsuit against any responsible party and their insurance company when involved in a jet ski crash caused by others’ negligent acts. A personal injury lawyer can ensure you, a loved one, or a PWC rider receives adequate compensation to pay for medical bills associated with the accident.
Our jet ski accident lawyers can help victims file a compensation claim against:
- Another personal watercraft (PWC)driver
- Manufacturer for a manufacturing or design defect
- Rental companies with improperly maintained equipment
Jet Ski Accident FAQs
Our personal injury law firm knows that many families are concerned about complications with filing and resolving outdoor injury cases when the negligence of another harms the victim. A water skiing accident lawyer from our law office has answered some of those water skiing accident questions below.
Call us today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) for more answers.
Hiring a Jet Ski Accident Lawyer to Resolve Your Boating Accident Case
Was your loved one killed in a jet ski accident as a driver? If so, a personal injury accident attorney from the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC law firm can determine who is at fault or responsible for the injuries caused by an Illinois jet ski accident.
Our Illinois boat injury attorneys can pursue an internal injury claim or wrongful death lawsuit against appropriate parties for financial recovery based on the damages involved.
Damages often include financial compensation for medical expenses, lost wages due to missed work, emotional distress, pain, and suffering. Call our law firm at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free) to access real-time assistance.
Speak with a Chicago jet ski accident lawyer during a free consultation for legal advice. All sensitive information you share with our injury lawyers remains confidential through an attorney-client relationship.