Living in Hawaii gives you the opportunity to take full advantage of nature. Hiking, biking, boating. The list goes on and on. But with these outdoor activities come risks, especially when it comes to boating. In fact, statistics show that 2020 saw 767 boating fatalities, which was an increase of 25% from 2019. Making matters worse is the fact that the total number of boating accidents increased by more than 26%, meaning that there were more than 5,200 boating accidents in 2020, leaving more than 3,000 people injured.
Hawaii alone has seen its fair share of boat accidents, with more than 60 of them occurring over the last five years. These accidents have left Hawaii residents reeling from their injuries and even the loss of a loved one.
What’s causing the increase in boat accident frequency?
There are a number of contributing factors to the increase in boating accidents last year. Many claim that the pandemic caused more people to buy boats, which increased the number of boating hours seen across America, including here in Hawaii. This makes sense to a certain extent, but mere increased boating hours don’t tell the whole story. There are a lot of other causes of serious boating accidents, including intoxication and inattention. In fact, intoxication resulted in 18% of the fatalities that occurred in 2020. Many individuals who cause these accidents lack proper boating safety instruction, too, which disallows them from operating their boat in a safe fashion.
What you can do if you’ve been affected by a boat accident
A boat accident can upend life as your family knows it. It can leave you or a loved one with injuries that are painful and challenging to cope with, and the emotional turmoil caused by the harm can be completely overwhelming. As if that’s not enough, the financial damages can be devastating. Medical expenses can quickly mount, and lost wages can eat away at your family’s stability. As a result of the extent of these damages, you might be left feeling like there’s no end in sight.
But there can be light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to know what you can do to protect your and your family’s interests. In many situations, this means pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. When it comes to boating accidents, personal injury lawsuits are similar to car accidents. To win your case, you have to show that the individual who caused the accident owed you a duty of care, he or she breached that duty of care, and that breach of care resulted in your or your loved one’s compensable injuries.
Building your boating injury case
This means that you’re going to need evidence that shows the other boater’s negligence. This can be evidence of intoxication or observations of inattentiveness, so be sure to look at law enforcement reports while including documentation that shows the extent of your damages. You’ll also want to know the intricacies of the law and how they apply to your circumstances so that you can build the best case possible under the circumstances.
A brighter future is within reach
You don’t have to face the aftermath of your boat accident alone. Instead, you can turn to family and friends for support, and physical and mental health professionals may prove beneficial. Don’t be afraid to seek out the assistance you need. After all, this is oftentimes the only way to ensure that you successfully get through this challenging time while also navigating the complexities of your case. Hopefully then you can focus on what really matters: your or your loved one’s recovery and your family.