New York Boat & Boating Accidents

If you were injured in a New York boating accident that was someone else's fault, you may be entitled to compensation to pay for:

  • Past, present, and future medical bills for treatment related to your boating-accident injuries
  • The repair or replacement of your boat or any property that was damaged or destroyed in the accident
  • Lost wages for time off from work (including time spent going to doctor's appointments and physical therapy)
  • The cost of hiring someone to do household chores that you're unable to do because of your injury
  • Permanent disability and disfigurement stemming from the boating accident injury
  • Emotional distress stemming from the boating accident
  • Any other costs you've incurred because of the accident

If anyone was killed in the boat crash or if a boat driver was intoxicated, the state of New York may prosecute the boater at fault and/or the intoxicated boater. In the case of other marine accidents, you may ultimately have to file a boating accident personal injury lawsuit in New York courts or a maritime lawsuit in federal courts, depending on which has jurisdiction in your accident.

How Is Fault Determined?

To collect money stemming from a boating-accident injury claim, personal injury and maritime law require you to prove that the other driver was negligent. You must show:

  • The boater who caused your injuries had a responsibility not to injure you and failed to live up to that duty
  • There is a connection between the other boater's responsibility and your injury
  • You suffered damages, or a financial loss, as a result of the accident

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?

The statute of limitations, or time in which you have to file a lawsuit, will depend on several factors, including whether your accident falls under state or federal laws, or if you signed a contract limiting the statute of limitations. Your New York boating accident attorney can advise you on the statute of limitations in your situation. If you and your lawyer are unable to negotiate a settlement with the boater at fault (or the boater's insurance company), you should consider filing a lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out.

Additional New York Boating Accident Resources

The New York State Boater's Guide

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation's information about Marine Law Enforcement