Author: Steve Palermo: The Suffolk Personal Injury Lawyer
Cool ocean breezes on a hot summer day and the freedom of an open sea make boating a favorite pastime for many people. It’s a lifestyle for numerous Long Islanders. However, many boaters are complacent, and don’t take precautions or boating laws serious enough, which can (and has) caused tragedy. If you live on Long Island go out boating for leisure, this post can be extremely informative and perhaps save you from ever enduring a boating accident. Following the laws of boating and ensuring your safety as well as the safety of others on your boat or on the water is vital to both experiencing enjoyable rides and avoiding boating accidents.
The US Coast Guard Recommends the Following Safety Precautions
According to the US Coastguard (USCG), hundreds of people die and thousands suffer injury every year from preventable recreational boating accidents. We cannot overstate how important it is to follow the laws of boating and take the necessary precautions to avoid such tragedies:
- Wearing a life jacket – Read More
- Filing a float plan –Read More
- Receiving a vessel safety check. Read More
There are also numerous other precautions you can take, which include taking courses on boating, learning to swim and avoiding alcohol or drug use. Here are some other tips not stated by law, but extremely useful in regards to safe boating:
- Before even planning an adventure at sea, check the weather forecast – check it weeks before, the day before, the morning of, and right before – bad weather can lead to catastrophe if you’re boating
- Understand the navigational aids of the sea, such as buoys, and stay within safe, non-shallow waters – the last thing you want is to destroy your engine if it starts sucking up sand – not only can it be dangerous and unlawful not to follow navigational aids, it can also destroy your boat
- Entirely avoid large vessels –
- Take a boating course –
- Learn how to swim – Read More
While in many instances a boating accident is the fault of the boat owner or participants, this is not always true. If someone else’s negligence or recklessness causes a boating accident, you may have legal recourse to recover damages. Hospital and medical expenses, compensation for pain and suffering, and lost future income due to disabling injuries are matters you can discuss with an experienced lawyer.