According to the U.S. Coast Guard, in 2013, there were an estimated 250 capsizing events reported to the agency involving recreational boats, resulting in about 175 deaths and more than 330 injuries. In recreational boating accidents, capsizing is not uncommon.
Unfortunately, capsizing incidents can occur for a number of reasons, including overcrowding, superficial vessel issues, and collisions with other vessels, rocks, docks, jetties, piers, and sandbars.
Many of these issues are avoidable. Often, operator inattention, inexperience, or recklessness plays a role in capsizing accidents.
Aside from drowning and death, capsizing incidents can result in serious injuries stemming from trauma, cardiac arrest, and hypothermia.
Woman Dies After Recreational Boat Capsizes on Georgia’s Lake Lanier
In 2015, a tragic boating accident on Lake Lanier in Georgia took the life of a 29-year-old woman after her recreational vessel capsized.
Park rangers found an overturned Monterey recreational boat located near a rocky area beneath a bridge in Hall County, GA. Tragically, Yang Kim was discovered deceased at the scene after apparently drowning.
At the time of the investigation, authorities had yet to determine the cause of the boat’s capsize.
While each boating accident is unique, many recreational boat capsizings are preventable. These include:
- operator inexperience
- excessive speed
- distracted or impaired operation
- overloading
- equipment failures
- poor weather conditions
- collisions with rocks, docks, bridges, or other vessels.
Many of these accidents could be avoided through responsible operation and proper maintenance of the vessel.
A capsizing accident can have serious repercussions that stretch beyond property damage.
Victims may experience maritime injuries such as
- traumatic brain injuries
- spinal cord injuries
- broken bones
- hypothermia
- near-drowning, or even drowning itself.
Additionally, the family members left behind often face heavy emotional and financial burdens following a tragedy that could have been prevented.
If negligence caused a recreational boating accident, injured victims or the families of those who died may be able to get compensation. To determine whether factors such as unsafe operation, faulty equipment, poor maintenance, or someone else’s negligence led to the accident, a detailed investigation is usually required.
At Latti Associates, our experienced Boston boat accident attorneys help people injured in serious boating accidents.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a boat capsizing, our legal team can review your situation, explain your rights, and support you in getting the compensation you deserve under maritime or state laws.
Speaking to an Attorney About a Recreational Boating Accident
If your loved one is killed or you are injured in a recreational boating accident, it may be wise to speak to an attorney. It will be important to determine which laws pertain to your situation.
Our experienced maritime attorney can determine if faulty equipment or recklessness resulted in your injuries or the death of your loved one.
For more than 60 years, we’ve stood up for families across the Boston area. Our maritime law firm takes the time to explain the process, answer questions, and handle the legal burden so families can focus on what matters most.