Personal Injury Lawyer

The rules regarding personal injury for boats and cruise ships are not unlike those for buses or planes. Just like the latter, when you’re enjoying the services of a boat company you’re paying your money and putting your safety into the hands of another person or group of people. As a personal injury lawyer from Eric Roy Law Firm can explain, it is the duty of the boat company and its employees to ensure the safety of those on board while the passengers are in their charge. This is even while enjoying any entertainment services the cruise or boat may provide.

A family from Illinois, unfortunately didn’t get the care and safety that they were expecting as they have filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit against a boat company in Florida as a woman was killed while parasailing. As the parasail was airborne, the captain began losing control of the boat because of “pegging” which causes the parasail to be filled with so much air that it drags the boat. The parasail line was cut leaving the woman and two other children to be dragged across the water before crashing into a bridge. Before the parasailing, the family said that they could come back the next day if the weather was too bad. While the two boys suffered trauma and injury, the woman was dead at the scene.

Their lawsuit claims that the boat company failed to properly train the captain and first mate and that they knowingly operated the boat in unsafe weather conditions. Provided that it is conveyed in negotiations, the boat company will likely be seen as liable as they made notice their approval for the weather that they’d be parasailing into the family. Also the actions they took during the accident will likely be seen as unprofessional as well. But there are multiple case types one could want to file a lawsuit regarding a boating excursion. Here are two of the most common:

Unprofessional staff: The staff of the boat is expected to be professional in their knowledge of how to sail the boat as well as the conducting of all the activities available. If the conditions for conducting those activities are not ideal, it’s the duty of the personnel to not conduct the activity and explain why.

Boat integrity: The boat needs to have received regular maintenance so that it can properly float and travel in a variety of water and weather conditions. In the event that a specific part of the boat fails resulting in injury, then it’s possible that the parts manufacturer is liable as well.