contact us today (775) 789-4944 contact us today (775) 789-4944Given its position between Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake, it is hardly surprising that the city of Reno has plenty of boaters staying or passing through the area on any given day. Unfortunately, not all of those boaters will be responsible and law-abiding once they get out on the water, and that kind of irresponsible behavior sometimes leads to accidents in the same way it could lead to traffic collisions on land.
On that note, filing suit over a boating injury in Nevada works similarly to suing over a car crash in some ways and very differently in others, and making sense of those similarities and differences is one of many things a seasoned personal injury attorney could provide vital help with. Most importantly, though, a dedicated Reno boat accident lawyer could help you proactively enforce your right to civil recovery and improve your chances of getting paid what you deserve for your damages after a collision or other incident away from land.
One of the main similarities between auto accidents and boat accidents in Nevada is the general requirement for people involved in such incidents to report them to state authorities in most situations. Specifically, anyone involved in a boat accident resulting in more than $2,000 of damage to or the total loss of any vessel must send a written accident report to the Nevada Department of Wildlife no later than ten days after the incident. Similarly, anyone involved in an accident resulting in an injury requiring professional medical care, a disappearance, or death must file a report within 48 hours.
Outside of this legal requirement, it is also helpful to do many of the same things after a boat accident that would be helpful to building a strong auto accident claim, such as getting contact information from witnesses, taking photos of vessel damage and injuries as well as the scene of the accident, and looking for nearby cameras—surveillance or otherwise—which may have captured the incident as it happened. This could all be crucial evidence for a Reno boat injury attorney to strengthen an ensuing claim for compensation, whether it resolves through a private settlement negotiation or a public civil court trial.
The purpose of collecting all that information after a boat collision is to build a case showing that the “defendant” being sued over the incident directly caused it to occur in the first place through a specific reckless or careless act. Depending on the circumstances, this could be something overtly illegal like speeding in a no-wake zone, boating under the influence, or simply a momentary lapse in concentration or error in judgment.
Of course, an injured “plaintiff” filing suit over a boat accident around Reno can also be found partially responsible for their own damages if they too were negligent in some way leading up to the incident. As an experienced lawyer could further explain, any share of “comparative fault” assigned to a plaintiff in this way could be held against them as a proportional reduction from their final damage award, or even as a reason to deny them compensation altogether.
Getting paid fairly for the harm you have sustained from a boat accident can be a time-consuming and often legally challenging process, especially if there are questions—as there very often are—about exactly how your accident happened and who holds the blame for it. Fortunately, you have support available from dedicated legal professionals with years of experience helping people like you through situations like yours.
A conversation with a Reno boat accident lawyer could provide answers to important questions and confidence about the steps you should take to protect your rights. Schedule a consultation by calling today.