Have you been hurt in a boating accident in the waters near Dundalk, Maryland? Now is the time to contact WGK Personal Injury Lawyers for help. You may have the opportunity to seek damages from a negligent boater, boating company, or another liable party. Our experienced Dundalk boating accident lawyers can help you fight to maximize your financial recovery.
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers has been a trusted name in personal injury litigation in Dundalk, MD, since our founding in 1977. When you choose our law firm for help with your boating accident case, you put an award-winning team of Maryland trial attorneys with over 100 years of combined experience in your corner.
We’ve helped our clients win tens of millions in monetary awards. Now, we’re here to help you fight for top results, too. Contact our Dundalk law office at (410) 970-3080 to schedule a free consultation today.
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How WGK Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Boating Accident in Dundalk, MD
What caused your boat accident? How can you prove someone else is at fault? What evidence will you need to make your case? How can you know if a settlement offer is fair or if you’re being lowballed? What happens if someone tries to blame you for the boating accident?
The answers to questions like these can make or break your ability to recover compensation after your boating accident. Increase the odds of a meaningful recovery by trusting our Dundalk personal injury lawyers with your case.
At WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, our client-focused strategies and compassionate legal representation have earned us top honors from Expertise.com, the DC Bar, the American Association for Justice, and other top legal organizations.
For three generations, our law firm has fought passionately to level the playing field between accident victims and powerful corporations and government entities. Now, we’re prepared to fight for you.
Count on our team to:
- Launch a prompt investigation into your boat accident
- Enlist maritime experts and other boating specialists to consult on your boat accident case
- Carefully analyze vessel maintenance reports, inspection records, accident reports, video footage, photographs, property damage, witness statements, and other evidence obtained during discovery
- Determine the best way to neutralize victim-blaming tactics designed to derail your ability to recover compensation
- Aggressively pursue the best possible terms of a settlement offer during negotiations with the insurance company
- Bring your boat accident lawsuit to a Baltimore County jury if the defense refuses to extend a reasonable settlement
You have a great opportunity in front of you. Let our trusted legal team in Dundalk help you make the most of it. Our Dundalk boating accident attorneys work on contingency, so it costs nothing to hire us unless we win your case.
We offer a free case evaluation. Contact our law office in Dundalk, MD, to get started today.
Maryland Boating Accident Statistics
Maryland’s eastern coast spans more than 3,190 miles down the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Several other bodies of water – including rivers, lakes, and other tributaries – can be found across the state. So, it comes as no surprise that boating accidents are quite common in the Old Line State.
According to the United States Coast Guard, 126 boating accidents were reported in the state of Maryland in 2022. This reflected an 8.7 percent decrease in boating accidents from the prior year and a 14.9 percent decrease from 2020.
On average, there are about 10 boating accidents per month in Maryland.
While the overall number of boating accidents declined, injuries and fatalities rose during the same period of time. In 2022, there were 11 fatal boat accidents in Maryland, resulting in 11 fatalities. In 2021, 6 fatal accidents and 6 fatalities were reported across the state.
What Causes Most Boat Accidents?
While storms, bad weather, equipment malfunctions, and factors outside of a person’s control can cause boating accidents, most can be avoided.
Unfortunately, they are typically a result of negligence, including:
- Inexperienced operation
- Distracted operation
- Drug and alcohol use
- Speeding
- Inadequate vessel maintenance
- Grounding
- Falling overboard
- Improper lookout
- Collisions with fixed objects
- Collisions with other vessels
- Ignoring state and federal navigation laws
- Floods
It’s critical to get to the bottom of why and how your boat accident happened. Our Dundalk boating accident attorneys will dig deep to understand the precise cause of your wreck. Once we know the why, we can set our sights on securing compensation from those at fault.
Types of Boating Accident Cases We Handle
At WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, we advocate for clients in all types of boat accident cases, including those involving:
- Speedboat accidents
- Sailboat accidents
- Ferry boat accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
- Commercial fishing boat accidents
- Kayak accidents
- Canoe accidents
- Yacht accidents
- Tour boat accidents
Having an experienced litigator handling your boat accident case can make a world of difference in how it’s resolved and how much compensation you’re able to win. Our boat accident lawyers in Dundalk have over 100 years of collective experience handling complex legal disputes like yours.
Put our knowledge of state and federal boating laws and tried-and-true legal strategies to work for your benefit. Call our law office to set up a free consultation now.
Who Could Be Liable For a Boating Accident in Dundalk?
As the victim of a boat accident in Dundalk, you’ll have the opportunity to seek compensation from a liable party. Liability extends to anyone whose negligent or intentionally harmful actions contributed to your boat accident.
This might include a:
- Boat operator
- Boat passenger
- Vessel owner
- Boat rental company
- Vessel manufacturer
- Negligent party’s employer
- Government agency
Our Dundalk boat accident attorneys will gather evidence that helps us prove fault and force those responsible for your collision to take full accountability for the injuries and suffering you’ve experienced.
What Damages Are Available to Dundalk Boat Accident Victims?
Filing a boat accident lawsuit in Dundalk can give you the opportunity to recover economic and non-economic damages for crash-related:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Nursing care
- Rehabilitation
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Chronic physical pain
- Inconvenience
- Embarrassment
If you have evidence to prove the defendant’s actions were intentional or grossly negligent, you may also be able to get punitive damages if your boat accident lawsuit goes to trial.
The defense will try to downplay your injuries and argue that the boat accident didn’t have a major impact on your life. Our boat accident attorneys in Dundalk will fight these tactics from the start, working hard to preserve your opportunity to recover the maximum value of your boat accident case.
Can Shared Fault Affect My Maryland Boat Accident Settlement?
Yes. Maryland is one of a few states that have adopted a system of pure contributory negligence. Sharing any degree of responsibility for your Marland boating accident will be a total bar to recovery from another party.
Expect the defense to point fingers and attempt to blame you – in whole or in part – for your boating accident. Even sharing 1 percent of the blame will prevent you from getting the compensation you need and deserve. Count on our Maryland boat accident lawyers to fight back against these allegations and work to protect your rights.
Common Boat Accident Injuries
Since they happen on or near water, boat accidents have the potential to cause devastating injuries.
Our Dundalk personal injury attorneys are here to help you pursue compensation for any trauma you suffer in a boat accident, including:
- Amputation injury
- Broken bones and fractures
- Spinal cord injury
- Quadriplegia
- Neck injury
- Back injury
- Nerve damage
- Soft tissue injury
- Crushing injury
- Chest injury
- Hypothermia
- Drowning
- Degloving injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Concussion
- Eye injury
- Leg injury
- Catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death of a family member
Get to the closest hospital in Dundalk as soon as you can after a boating accident. Prompt medical treatment can be the difference between short-lived injuries and trauma that affects your life forever. Then, don’t hesitate to contact our law office in Dundalk to discuss your boat accident case. Members of our legal team are available to take your call 24 hours a day.
What is the Statute of Limitations for Boat Accident Cases in Maryland?
Once you’ve been injured in a Maryland boating accident, you’ll have three years to file a legal claim for damages.
The three-year statute of limitations has few exceptions. If you miss the deadline, you will forfeit the opportunity to demand compensation from a negligent party or insurance company.
Protect your rights by reaching out to a qualified personal injury attorney near you in Dundalk as soon as you can after your boat accident.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Dundalk Boating Accident Lawyer
Don’t struggle with the costs of a boat accident on your own in Dundalk, MD. Call WGK Personal Injury Lawyers and discover the impact our Dundalk boat accident lawyers can have on your life.
We have over 100 years of combined experience and a proven ability to win tough personal injury disputes. Level the playing field by trusting us with your boat accident case.
Contact our law office in Dundalk today at (410) 970-3080 to get started. Your first consultation is free.
