California Boating Accident Facts

Boating accidents are a fact in the state of California due to its many lakes and coastal waters. According to the California Department of Boating and Waterways, 49 people died in boating accidents in 2010 while 54 died in 2011. Overall, 2010 saw 570 accidents which decreased to 512 in 2011. 283 injuries occurred in 2010 which increased to 313 injuries in 2011. The rise in fatalities and injuries from 2010 to 2011 is not a good sign. Such accidents result in millions of dollars in property damage as well as medical costs to the injured. In 2011, the California property damage toll exceeded 2 million dollars.

In 2011, Los Angeles County experienced 32 accidents resulting in 20 injuries and seven fatalities. Its number of accidents was exceeded by Orange County (46) and San Diego County (53). The leading type of boating accident is a collision with another vessel. Other types of accidents include those involving flooding or swamping, grounding, sinking, skier mishaps, capsizing, someone falling overboard, and more. These accidents include all types of boats, from open motorboats to cabin motorboats, sailboats, houseboats, pontoons, canoes, kayaks, and other personal watercraft.

The leading cause of boating accidents in California is operator inattention. Other causes include excessive speeds, operator inexperience, unsafe passenger or skier behavior, hazardous waters, machinery failure, and equipment failure.

Personal Injury Firm Serving Los Angeles, California

Everyone has heard about traffic accidents, especially in a high-traffic metropolitan area such as Los Angeles. Boating accidents are less known and reported but pose just as much of a danger to the occupants of these vessels as the occupants of cars with the added factor that drowning is a very real risk. As evident from the above statistics, the majority of these accidents are caused by the actions or inactions of boat operators. Inattention while operating any type of vessel on the water is inexcusable when the lives of passengers are at risk.

If you have been injured in a boating accident caused by the negligence of someone else, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim. The Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus provides highly-experienced legal help with such claims. The firm has more than 30 years of experience in this field and has helped thousands of clients recover the legal compensation they need and deserve in the wake of such an accident. Founding attorney Gerald Marcus was named Personal Injury Attorney of the Year in 2011 by the Consumer Business Review. He and his legal team will work vigorously on your behalf using all of their abundant knowledge and practical experience. Contact the firm to get started with a free case consultation concerning your injury accident.