This week we have been discussing a deadly drunk boating accident that occurred in June on Lake Lanier, Ga. Although the main factor was likely alcohol use, excessive speed may also have contributed to the deaths of Jake Prince, 9, and Griffin Prince, 13. As reported by Fox 5 Atlanta, “a center-console fishing boat which was traveling at a high rate of speed slammed into a pontoon boat carrying 13 people,” including the Prince brothers. Depending on the exact location of the crash and the conditions at the time of the accident, the fishing boat’s “high rate of speed” may have been excessive.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, excessive speed was one of “the top five primary contributing factors” in recreational boating accidents last year, contributing to 349 accidents involving 28 deaths and 321 injuries.
When boaters are injured because of excessive speed, they may be entitled to compensation. Latti Associates LLC has obtained significant verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs in such cases, including a $440,000 settlement for a plaintiff injured when a boat struck a standing swell too fast, and a $307,500 settlement for a plaintiff injured when a boat travelling at a high rate of speed hit wakes without slowing down.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia lawmakers are now considering speed limits for certain areas of Lake Lanier. Even when a lake or other body of water has speed limits in place, boat operators still need to consider a number of factors when determining a safe speed.
If you were seriously injured or your loved one was killed because a boat was being driven too fast, visit our website for more information about recreational boating accidents, and call us at (617) 523-1000 to learn about your legal rights from a knowledgeable Boston maritime attorney.
Latti Associates LLC – Boston maritime trial lawyers