Illinois is bordered by Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River and also is home to many other small lakes and rivers. With these bodies of water comes great boat traffic. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) reports on boat accidents each year. Although agencies like the Coast Guard try to promote boat safety and prevent accidents, tragedies continue to occur on the waters in Illinois and throughout the country due to the negligence of others.

Although most boating accidents are preventable, hundreds of people die every year and the number appears to be on the rise. The USCG reports that in 2005 there were a total of 12,942,414 recreational boats registered in the United States. There were 4,969 boating accidents in 2005 that resulted in 697 fatalities and 3,451 injuries. The most common type of boat accident was a collision with another boat.

There are 380,865 recreational boats registered in Illinois, which is the tenth highest registration number of all 50 states. In Illinois alone, 101 boating accidents were reported in 2005 which resulted in 16 deaths and 91 injuries, according to the Coast Guard. Because of the threat of drowning, boating safety and education are particularly important. The USCG has found that the most common time for boating accidents is during the summer weekends between 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Boat Accident Injuries On The Rise

Throughout the country the number of injuries 1,007 rose in 2005 for the first time since 1996. Injuries can include brain injury, spinal cord injury, loss of limbs, fractures and other severe problems as a result of boating accidents. The leading cause of all boat accidents is some type of reckless operation.

Call on the Illinois Boat Accident Lawyers with Clifford Law Offices

Clifford Law Offices has been representing victims of serious boating and other vehicular accidents for 30 years. The combined attorneys’ experience at the firm adds up to hundreds of years of personal injury and wrongful death work. A Clifford Law Offices’ boat accident attorney examines the cause of the crash. It can be an issue of machinery failure, manufacturing defects, improper maintenance, driver operation, inattention or inexperience, excessive speed, alcohol use, passenger behavior, or environmental hazards or conditions. The law firm also will examine boat accident victims’ losses that include medical expenses, lost wages, future earnings, future medical care, pain and suffering, grief, sorrow and mental suffering, loss of quality of life and other possible damage claims.

For example, Clifford Law Offices represented a Wilmette man who was severely injured in a boating collision. The law firm also represents the passenger of a recreational motorboat who suffered facial fractures, a shoulder dislocation and other serious injuries when a barge struck him in the water.

All of these are tragic crashes and all of them required experienced boat accident lawyers. The drivers must be held accountable for their negligent actions. Clifford Law Offices represented these victims and got answers for them that they deserved. Please call Clifford Law Offices, experienced boat accident attorneys, at 312-899-9090.