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Recreational Boating Victims


In addition to providing a means for maritime trade, the waters in and around Alaska, California, Oregon, and Washington are popular for recreational boating. Whether you prefer a powerboat, jet skis, ski boat, fishing boat, sailboat, dinghy, or rowboat, the bays, canals, inlets, sounds, seas, and oceans of the west coast are a playground of both still and wave-ridden waters.

Unfortunately, just as the maritime industry comes with risks, so does recreational boating, and operators of recreational boats don’t always take those risks into account. If you or a loved one suffered an injury as a result of a recreational boating accident, an experienced maritime injury attorney at BoatLaw, LLP can help you build a case against the person or company responsible for your recreational boating injury.

Attorneys for Recreational Boating Victims in Oregon, Washington, California, and Alaska

While recreational boating is a fun pastime, it is also a risky venture in which the owner and/or operator of the vessel owes you a certain degree of care. If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a recreational boating accident anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, and the waters of the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, North Pacific, Puget Sound, and Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska, contact the experienced maritime injury attorneys of BoatLaw, LLP. The team has offices in Bellingham and Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco, California.

With a passion for maritime law and decades of combined experience, the skilled lawyers of BoatLaw, LLP have what it takes to get you the compensation you need after your recreational boating accident. To find out what BoatLaw, LLP can do for you or your loved one after a recreational boating accident, call 1 (800) 262-8529 today and schedule your free initial case consultation.


Causes of Recreational Boating Accidents

Federal maritime law in the United States says that both paying passengers of a recreational boat and invited, nonpaying passengers are owed the same reasonable duty of care. This means that no matter if you are on a friend’s speedboat or a company’s sailboat, the owner and/or operator must give you a duty of care that is reasonable under the circumstances.

To give a reasonable duty of care means to exercise the same care a reasonably prudent person would under the same or similar circumstances in order to avoid injury. Failure to exercise this care is considered negligence. Examples of common causes of recreational boating accidents that likely qualify as negligence include:

  • Boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Traveling too close in proximity to another vessel
  • Distracted operation of a boat
  • Boat driver inexperience
  • Reckless driving or careless operation of a boat
  • Failing to follow Coast Guard rules of the waterway
  • Operating a boat in poor weather or water conditions
  • Missing or inadequate life jackets or other maritime safety equipment
  • Reckless operation of a jet ski
  • Unseaworthiness of a boat or other vessel

Due to the various maritime laws, determining liability for negligence in a recreational boating accident can be a complicated legal matter, especially if it happened at sea. An experienced maritime injury attorney can sort through the details of your case and fight for the compensation you deserve as a recreational boating accident victim.


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Recoverable Damages for Recreational Boating Accident Victims

The damages you may recover as a recreational boating accident victim depends on a number of factors, including the severity of your injury, the cause of your injury, whether you were contributorily negligent in causing your injury, and which maritime laws apply to your case. For instance, if you or your loved one suffered injury in a recreational boating accident that occurred more than three nautical miles from shore, different laws and restrictions may apply than if the accident occurred within three nautical miles of shore.

Examples of the laws you, as a recreational boating accident victim, may qualify to recover under include state boating laws, the unseaworthiness doctrine, general maritime law, and the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) for wrongful death. Contact an experienced maritime injury attorney if you are a recreational boating accident victim seeking compensation. You may be eligible for the following damages from a negligent boat owner or operator:

  • Disability
  • Disfigurement
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Medical expenses
  • Mental health care
  • Occupational retraining expenses
  • Pain and suffering
  • Reduced earning capacity
  • Wrongful death

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BoatLaw, LLP | Maritime Injury Lawyers serving Washington, Alaska, California, and Oregon Recreational Boating Accident Victims

If you suffered an injury in a recreational boating accident anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, or the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, North Pacific, and Puget Sound, contact the experienced maritime injury attorneys of BoatLaw, LLP. The team has offices in Bellingham and Seattle, Washington;  Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco, California. They will use their decades of combined experience and passion for maritime pursuits to fight for the compensation you deserve. Your first consultation is free, so call 1 (800) 262-8529 today and schedule yours.


  • The Maritime Law Association of The United States
    The Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA) was founded in 1899. Its formation was prompted by the organization, some three years earlier, of the International Maritime Committee.
  • Washington State Bar Association
    The Washington State Bar Association operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's nearly 40,000 lawyers and other legal professionals.
  • Oregon State Bar
    The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession.
  • Alaska Bar Association
    The Alaska Bar Association is a mandatory bar association responsible to the Alaska Supreme Court for the admission and discipline process of attorneys for the State of Alaska.