Cleveland Maritime & Boat Accident Lawyers

Recreational Boating Accidents

Most of the boat accident cases we handle around Cleveland involve people out for the day: fishing, cruising, tubing, or riding a jet ski. These claims work much like car accident claims. When the operator was careless, the operator and the boat owner are usually responsible, often through a boat insurance policy if one is in place.

Where Boating Accidents Happen Around Cleveland

Lake Erie is the center of boating in Northeast Ohio, and conditions on it can change within minutes. Accidents happen most often in:

• Open water on Lake Erie, where sudden wind and waves catch smaller boats far from shore.
• The Cuyahoga River and the Flats, where pleasure boats share a narrow, busy channel with freighters, water taxis, and paddlers.
• Edgewater and the downtown lakefront, crowded with boats, swimmers, and personal watercraft on summer weekends.
• The Rocky River and its marina areas, where traffic funnels through the river mouth and near the docks.
• Trips to the Lake Erie islands, long runs across open water that test both the boat and the operator. Crashes farther west are often handled by our Toledo boat accident lawyers.

Common Causes of Boat Accidents

According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Statistics, operator inattention, improper lookout, and operator inexperience are the most common causes of recreational boating accidents, and alcohol is the leading known factor in fatal ones. The causes we see most around Cleveland include:

• Boating under the influence: alcohol slows reaction time on the water just as it does on the road.
• Operator inexperience: renters and new owners who do not know the navigation rules or how a boat handles.
• Speeding near docks: wakes and high speed in marinas, river mouths, and no-wake zones.
• No lookout: operators who do not watch for swimmers, skiers, and other boats.
• Bad weather on Lake Erie: operators who ignore forecasts or stay out as a storm builds.
• Defective equipment: engine failures, fuel leaks, and steering problems that leave a boat out of control.

The Coast Guard also reports that most people who drown in boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket.

Types of Boat Accidents

The US Coast Guard’s report indicated the top five types of boating accidents, whether fatal or not, including:

• Collisions with another recreational watercraft
• Collisions with a fixed object
• Flooding/swamping: Waves or a leak fill the boat with water faster than it can drain.
• Grounding: A boat runs onto rocks or a sandbar and throws riders forward.
• Falls overboard: A rider goes into the water after a sharp turn, a wake, or a collision.

These types of accidents can result in a wide variety of injuries and severe consequences, including permanent disability and death.

Jet Ski and Personal Watercraft Accidents

Jet skis and other personal watercraft are fast, small, and easy to rent, which makes them one of the riskiest ways to be on the water. Riders are thrown at speed, collide with docks and other boats, and are struck by other watercraft. Many crashes involve rental riders with little experience or young operators. When a rental company hands a machine to someone with no instruction, fails to maintain it, or lets an underage rider take it out, the company can share responsibility.

Ohio Boating Rules That Affect Your Claim

Ohio’s boating laws often decide who was at fault. A few that come up in our cases:

• Operator education: Most people born on or after January 1, 1982, must complete an approved boating course before operating a boat with more than 10 horsepower.
• Life jackets: Every boat must carry a properly sized life jacket for each person, and some riders, including young children on smaller boats, people on personal watercraft, and anyone being towed, must wear one.
• Alcohol limits: Ohio’s impaired operation laws apply to boats, with the same blood alcohol limits drivers face on the road.
• Personal watercraft age limits: Children under 12 may not operate a personal watercraft, and riders 12 to 15 need adult supervision on board.

An operator who broke one of these rules gives your claim strong evidence of negligence. Our tips on boating season safety cover more of them.

Boating Accidents: Common Injuries

Even if you take precautions, accidents can still happen on the water. Whether it’s due to other boaters, freak accidents, or weather, boating accidents can cause physical injury, property damage, and financial loss.

Common injuries sustained by boat accident victims include:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a case type our Cleveland brain injury lawyers handle often
• Hypothermia: Cold water pulls heat from the body quickly, even from strong swimmers.
• Cardiac arrest: Sudden immersion in cold water or a near drowning can stop the heart.
• Spinal cord injuries
• Severed limbs: Propeller strikes and crushing between boats and docks can cost a person a limb.
• Bone and ligament injuries
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Accidental death, which may give the family a claim through our Cleveland wrongful death lawyers
• Drowning: A fall overboard without a life jacket can turn fatal within minutes.

Operators, passengers, and people being towed (skiers, tubers, and wakeboarders) can all be hurt in boating accidents, and these injuries range from mild to severe.

Not only do boating accident injuries bring traumatic and sometimes severe physical pain, but they can also have long-lasting effects resulting in loss of work, excessive financial burden, and emotional or psychological distress in the aftermath of physical trauma.

How to Seek Compensation for a Boat Accident

If you or a loved one have sustained injuries in a boating accident, you may be entitled to open a boating accident case and recoup compensation for your loss. Medical treatment and equipment damages related to boating accidents can be incredibly costly, and it is important to have a skilled team helping you seek compensation if you believe you are not at fault for your boating accident.

Our Cleveland boating accident attorneys can guide you through every step of understanding the legal process, help you get treatment, and assist you in seeking compensation for boating accidents and injuries.

You may be able to recoup several losses and sustain further rehabilitation in a personal injury lawsuit. The boating accident attorneys at KNR have helped numerous Cleveland-area boating accident victims and boating injury patients gain compensation for physical, psychological, and financial damages.

Cleveland Maritime Accidents

While recovering compensation after a boating accident due to negligence is a lot like other vehicle accidents, things operate differently if you work in Cleveland’s maritime industry.

For professionals involved with navigating bodies of water, maintaining ships and docks, loading and unloading cargo, and generally managing the movement of vessels and passengers, there are plenty of things that can go wrong and cause a maritime accident. These incidents are governed by federal maritime laws such as the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, which have their own rules and deadlines.

The Maritime Industry in Cleveland

The maritime industry includes a wide range of hands-on jobs centered around ships, boats, docks, and cargo. The Port of Cleveland is a major Great Lakes port, connecting local businesses to the world market and supporting thousands of jobs.

Dockworkers, crew members, tug and barge operators, and ship repair crews keep cargo such as steel moving through the port, and many Ohio residents rely on the maritime industry for their livelihoods.

Cleveland Maritime Accidents: Common Causes

Because the maritime industry incorporates a host of technology and heavy gear while operating on moving bodies of water, equipment operators must be thoroughly trained and equipment must be properly maintained.

Negligence, oversight, or malfunctioning equipment and spaces can prove risky, dangerous, or even deadly in the maritime industry. All these risks carry heavy physical, financial, and even psychological loss.

Common causes of maritime accidents include:

• Slips and falls
• Falling overboard: Waves, lines, or swinging cargo can knock a worker off a deck or dock.
• Toxic fumes in enclosed spaces
• Chemical exposure: Fuel, solvents, and cargo chemicals can burn the skin, eyes, and lungs.
• Inadequate training: Employers who skip safety training put workers on heavy equipment before they are ready.
• Fishing accidents: Commercial fishing crews work lines, hooks, and winches on moving decks.
• Dock and pier accidents
• Defective or malfunctioning equipment
• Lack of skid-free foot spaces

Common Maritime Injuries

Common maritime injuries as a result of accidents, chemical exposure, negligence, malfunctioning equipment, or other accidents include:

• Head injuries: Falls, swinging loads, and falling cargo can cause concussions and brain injuries.
• Overexertion and repetitive motion disorder (RMD)
• Chemical burns: Fuel, cleaning agents, and hazardous cargo can burn the skin and eyes.
• Inhalation injuries: Breathing smoke, fumes, or chemical vapors in tight spaces can damage the lungs.
• Broken limbs: Falls from ladders and decks and crushing accidents often break arms and legs.
• Lost limbs and amputated limbs
• Shoulder injuries (bursitis)
• Eye injuries: Flying debris, sparks, and chemical splashes can damage a worker’s eyesight.
• Electric shock: Faulty wiring on vessels, docks, and shore power lines can cause severe shocks and burns.
• Accidental death: When a worker is killed on the job, the family may be entitled to death benefits.

Recovering Maritime Accident Compensation

If you or a loved one have sustained a maritime injury on a boat, pier, or dockside, you may be entitled to open a maritime injury case and receive compensation for your loss. It is important to seek payment for damages if you believe you are not at fault for your maritime injuries because medical treatment and rehabilitation related to maritime injuries can be incredibly costly.

After sustaining maritime injuries, you may wish to file a personal injury lawsuit, a maritime claim, or a workers’ compensation claim, particularly if your injury occurred on the job. Which one applies depends on your job and where you were hurt, and our Cleveland workers compensation lawyers can help sort out the options, including while you are still being treated for your injuries. You may be able to recoup several losses and sustain further rehabilitation in a lawsuit.

Maritime injuries of any degree may qualify for compensation, and some maritime benefits are paid regardless of fault. Our maritime injury attorneys have helped numerous Cleveland-area accident victims gain compensation for physical, psychological, and financial damages. Let our maritime accident lawyers guide you through every step of the legal process, help you get treatment, and assist you in seeking compensation for maritime injury-related damages.

Our Maritime Lawyers Are Ready to Help

Whether it involves a boat collision on Lake Erie because one party was reckless or a maritime work-related injury on a commercial vessel, a Cleveland boat accident lawyer at KNR can help. Let us assess your case, gather the evidence, establish liability for all your losses and fight for the maximum amount possible. Call (216) 658-1330 or 1-800-HURT-NOW for a free consultation.

Cleveland Boat Accident FAQs