Cleveland Maritime & Boat Accident Lawyers | Kisling, Nestico & Redick
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Boat Accidents in Cleveland, OH

From powerboats to paddleboats, pontoons, and fishing boats, the Great Lakes region of Ohio accommodates a variety of watercraft. But no matter which type of watercraft you’re using and no matter which body of water you’re navigating, boats come with responsibilities and maintenance that demand attention to avoid accidents.

From skillful waterway navigation to off-board activities like water skiing or tubing, watercraft must be well-maintained and operated responsibly.

If you or a loved one has experienced a Cleveland area boating accident or sustained injuries on a boat, the Cleveland boat accident attorneys at Kisling, Nestico & Redick can help. We will discuss what happened and explain how to best recover compensation for your losses.

Combining decades, KNR has the skill and knowledge to help you deal with every aspect of your boating accident. Call (216) 658-1330, or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation with a maritime accident lawyer.

At KNR, we ask, ‘what can we do?’ so you move on with more.

Common Causes of Cleveland Boating Accidents

Ohio saw 26 fatal boat accidents in 2020, with most occurring on powerboats. According to the US Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Statistics, the six primary causes of recreational boating accidents include:

  • Pilot/operator inattention
  • Operator inexperience
  • Improper lookout
  • Machinery failure
  • Alcohol use
  • Excessive speed

The report also notes navigation rule violations, hazardous conditions, and weather as leading factors in fatal boating accidents and fatalities. The report also totaled the average property damage from boating accidents at nearly $38 million.

Based on circumstantial data, the Coast Guard advises anyone participating in recreational boating activities to wear a life jacket, take boating safety courses, get free vessel safety checks, and avoid alcohol while operating boats.

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
  • Grounding
  • Falls overboard

These types of accidents can result in a wide variety of injuries and severe ramifications, such as long-term loss and death

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 not only a huge damper to your recreational outing, but also cause physical risk, material damage, and financial loss.

Common injuries sustained by boat accident victims include:

Pilots, vehicle operators, passengers, and others attached to the watercraft (skiers, wakeboarders, etc.) are susceptible to 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 the 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, which include offshore activities are addressed under the Jones Act and other maritime laws.

The Maritime Industry in Cleveland

The maritime industry encompasses a variety of labor-oriented and dynamic careers centered around ships, boats, and bodies of water, the Port of Cleveland is a crucial player in the domestic maritime economy, generating approximately $1.08 billion annually and employing 17,832 maritime employees while connecting local businesses to the world market.

Jobs such as Naval architecture, marine and ocean engineering, and shipping/transportation offer many opportunities to help harness the Earth’s oceans, rivers, and even lakes for food, energy, and transportation. The Port of Cleveland is a major thoroughfare for maritime traffic and transport, especially of steel, 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 that equipment is 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
  • Toxic fumes in enclosed spaces
  • Chemical exposure
  • Inadequate training
  • Fishing accidents
  • 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 inexplicable accidents include:

  • Head injuries
  • Overexertion and repetitive motion disorder (RMD)
  • Chemical burns
  • Inhalation
  • Broken limbs
  • Lost limbs and amputated limbs
  • Shoulder injuries (bursitis)
  • Eye injuries
  • Electric shock
  • Accidental death

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 and/or claim worker’s compensation, particularly if your injury occurred on the job or if you are seeking treatment 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 you to make a maritime injury compensation claim, regardless of the cause. 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.

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Maritime & Boat Accident Compensation

You shouldn’t be forced to bear the financial cost of someone’s reckless or negligent behavior. Nor should you blindly accept a lowball insurance offer. Let our Cleveland maritime and boat accident lawyers explain your rights and options.

At KNR, we ask, ‘what can we do?’ so you move on with more.

What Are You Entitled to After a Boat Accident?

Whether through an insurance settlement, maritime claim, or personal injury lawsuit after a boat accident, you may be able to recover the following damages and losses:

  • Medical expenses (current & future)
  • Lost income (Time off work & diminished capacity)
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Disfigurement
  • Loss of consortium (the negative effect your injuries had on your relationship)
  • Wrongful Death

There is no standard way to calculate the value of a maritime accident. But a lawyer can help document your losses and advise whether an insurance claim or lawsuit is your best option.

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Maritime Injury Laws

The Jones Act is a federal compensation program geared toward only seamen on board ships, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Act is a federal workers’ comp that covers non-qualified seamen who are still maritime employees performing maritime-related operations, including shipbuilding and repair. The Maritime Industry Fund was also created to assist Ohio employers whose private insurance carriers no longer can afford to offer coverage.

Negligence Isn’t Always Required for Maritime Injuries

If you’re an injured maritime employee under the LHWCA, you don’t necessarily have to prove that negligence was at fault for your maritime injuries. Whether you’ve sustained an offshore injury or were in an offshore incident related to maritime operations, KNR can help you sort out your options pertaining to medical care, recoup lost wages, and navigate the complex legal and medical processes you need to regain your health.

$110,000 Settlement in Portage County

The defendant lost control driving on State Route 44 in Mantua and went left of center, hitting our…

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What Makes KNR Special?

KNR Does More For Those Injured in Boat Accidents

If you or a loved one is injured while working in the maritime industry or any incident on a boat, you deserve to know your legal options. At KNR, we strive to make the process of getting what you deserve more straightforward because what you’re going through is hard enough. Getting legal help shouldn’t be.

At KNR, we ask, ‘what can we do?’ so you move on with more.

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, the 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.