Boating Accidents Charleston SC

Plenty of people get out on a boat in Charleston to have a relaxing time in the sun. We often see locals and tourists enjoying themselves on recreational motorboats, pontoons, yachts, jetskis, and other watercraft. There are also harbor tours and shore excursions from cruise lines in the area.

When accidents happen in our city’s waterways, they can be catastrophic and severe. Former South Carolina Congressman Joe Cunningham can support boating accident survivors and their families. Our Boating Accidents Charleston SC law firm will seek compensation to cover your medical bills and other losses caused by irresponsible folks on the water.

To request a free case review with an experienced boating accident lawyer near you, contact Joe Cunningham Law. You can also reach our Charleston boating accident attorneys by phone at 843-800-2726.

How Common Are Boat and Watercraft Accidents?

According to numbers from the United States Coast Guard, there were 4,040 recreational boating accidents nationwide in 2022. These recreational boating accidents caused 636 fatalities and 2,222 injuries. The five major contributing factors to all boating accidents were:

• Operator inattention
• Operator inexperience
• Improper lookout
• Excessive speed
• Machinery failure

Boating crashes were a major cause of injuries and fatalities. Data shows that collisions with other recreational vessels and fixed objects led to 1,085 accidents in 2022. These types of boating accidents caused 826 injuries and 96 deaths that year.

Recreational Boating Accident Numbers in South Carolina

Based on state-by-state data from the U.S. Coast Guard report above, there were 152 recreational boating accidents in South Carolina in 2022 causing 22 deaths.

How Long Do I Have to File a Boating Accident Lawsuit in South Carolina?

Per South Carolina Code § 15-3-530, people usually have three years from the date of their boating accident to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim. Once that three-year statute of limitations is up, you can no longer seek legal action.

Keep in mind that some boating and watercraft accidents will have shorter and stricter deadlines to take legal action. It’s in your best interests to speak with a Charleston boating accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Why Choose Joe Cunningham Law After a Watercraft Accident

Attorney Joe Cunningham brings a unique perspective to every accident case he works on. Joe has spent a considerable amount of time on the water, having crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on a boat. He also takes a people-first approach to legal action, which is something he learned while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. Our team makes sure to focus on the needs of South Carolina accident survivors and their families.

We Know How Lawyers Represent Personal Injury Defendants

Joe began his legal career representing defendants in accident cases. By working on the other side of the table, he learned how opposing attorneys craft their arguments and analyze evidence. Joe can use this knowledge of the civil law process to anticipate the other side’s moves and craft stronger, tighter cases for accident survivors.

We Know How Insurance Companies Approach Settlements

The team Joe Cunningham Law understands the strategies that insurance companies use to lowball settlements and minimize payouts. We can identify these tactics and help accident victims negotiate better counteroffers.

Free Case Reviews to Evaluate Your Accident

After a boating accident, your primary concern is recovering, paying your bills, and in some cases grieving. That’s why the initial consultation at Joe Cunningham Law is free of charge. You shouldn’t have to pay a fee just to be heard and get advice from good lawyers here in Charleston.

Legal Representation on a Contingency Fee Basis

When it comes to the financial burden on clients, Joe Cunningham Law goes a few steps further. If we work on your case, you don’t have to pay us unless we can reach a favorable settlement or win damages in court. If we don’t win, you don’t pay.

Contact Our Charleston Law Firm About Your Watercraft Accident

Whether you were injured while on a motorboat, sailboat, jetski, or pontoon, you can count on Joe Cunningham Law to be on your side. Joe represented the Lowcountry of South Carolina in Congress, and he’s ready to fight for the people of South Carolina in court. For a free consultation with a skilled boating accident attorney near you, contact our Charleston personal injury lawyers.

Boating Accidents Caused by Intoxication

We often think about drunk and intoxicated driving crashes in the context of motor vehicles. Unfortunately, drinking and boating happens, and it can be deadly. It should be no surprise that South Carolina Code § 50-21-112 covers many penalties people could face for boating under the influence (BUI).

As noted by the U.S. Coast Guard, the use of drugs and alcohol was a primary factor for 223 boating accidents in 2022, resulting in 150 injuries and 92 deaths that year. Alcohol use was the leading cause of deaths from the operation of a boat or watercraft.

People need to drink responsibly before they operate any kind of marine craft in order to keep themselves, passengers, and swimmers safe. That’s everyone’s  personal responsibility whenever we’re on Charleston’s beaches, rivers, and waterways. Our boating accident lawyers are ready to help you hold drunk and intoxicated individuals accountable for causing serious or fatal injuries.

Boating Accidents Caused by Recklessness

Reckless activities may be the result of drugs, alcohol, and other controlled substances. Such actions could also just be the result of a general disregard for other people’s safety.

Examples of reckless boating include:

• Excessive speed
• Jumping the wake of a nearby vessel
• Weaving your watercraft in a congested waterway
• Operating a boat in a designated swimming area
• Operating a boat in a prohibited area
• Causing hazardous wake or wave conditions affecting nearby vessels
• Disturbing or chasing wildlife in your vessel
• Riding on a hazardous part of the boat, yacht, or pontoon

If you are injured by a person operating a boat or personal watercraft in a reckless manner, our attorneys can help. It doesn’t matter if you were swimming, on another vessel, or a passenger on the boat operated recklessly—Joe Cunningham Law is here to hold negligent people accountable.

Boating Accidents Caused by an Overloaded Vessel

Sailboats, motorboats, and pontoons have maximum capacities for a reason. If there are too many people crowded onto your vessel, it can seriously compromise its safety and seaworthiness. The uneven weight distribution can make basic maneuvering far more difficult. There’s also a danger of the boat capsizing simply given the number of people aboard.

If an irresponsible boat owner or boat tour company exceeds the capacity of a vessel, our attorneys can hold the negligent party accountable for endangering passengers and causing injuries.

Boating Accidents Caused by Hazardous Conditions

Sometimes the safest thing a person can do is check the weather and decide to avoid the water. Choppy waves, wind, rain, and fog can lead to treacherous conditions on rivers, in the harbor, or by the beach. Rather than having fun, you could find yourself in danger.

In addition to weather, it’s also important for people on the water to be aware of other watercraft in the area. Large ships may be passing through, or other people in motorboats or on pontoons could be nearby. When people fail to be aware of their surroundings, it can lead to catastrophic accidents.

Speak with Our Charleston Watercraft Accident Attorneys

BUI and other acts of recklessness can lead to catastrophic or even fatal watercraft accidents. The team at Joe Cunningham Law is here to help you and your family hold negligent people accountable for their actions. To set up a free consultation with a skilled motorboat, jetski, or yacht accident lawyer near you, contact our injury attorneys in Charleston, SC.

Drowning Caused by Boat and Yacht Accidents

If a boat capsizes, the threat of drowning is high. In fact, going overboard could be dangerous even if you have a life jacket since it can take a long time before help finally arrives. As noted by the U.S. Coast Guard, 75% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. If you survive a near drowning, you may have lingering brain damage due to oxygen deprivation that can affect your mental health and motor function.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) Caused by Boat and Yacht Accidents

Falling off a boat or getting hit by a speeding boat could lead to a serious traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion or a brain contusion. Swimmers are especially vulnerable to negligent people operating a motorboat, pontoon, or jetski. The effects of a serious TBI can have a lasting impact on your quality of life, altering your cognition, memory, mood, motor skills, and even your ability to communicate.

Spinal Cord Injuries Caused by Boat and Yacht Accidents

In addition to serious head trauma from a boating accident, it’s also possible to experience a catastrophic neck or spinal cord injury. These kinds of injuries can be particularly debilitating. Some accident survivors experience partial paralysis due to nerve damage. Other survivors of serious boating injuries could become permanently disabled due to paraplegia (loss of use of the lower limbs) or quadriplegia (loss of use of all limbs).

Other Potential Injuries from Boat and Yacht Accidents

In addition the catastrophic injuries outlined above, it’s also possible for people to suffer these kinds of injuries from a boat accident on Charleston’s waterways:

• Lacerations from motors and rotors
• Broken bones
• Loss of limbs
• Whiplash
• Electrocution
• Burns from boat fires
• Hypothermia
• Carbon monoxide inhalation

Fatal Boat and Watercraft Accidents

Fatal injuries are possible simply given the impact and the nature of injuries people experience in these kinds of accidents. If you lose a loved one in a motorboat or jetski accident, you have our condolences. The pain of your loss may feel immeasurable.

When you’re ready, our team is here to listen to you and help you seek damages against the person responsible for your loved one’s wrongful death.

Contact Our Boat/Yacht Accident Lawyers in Charleston

It can take months or even years to recover from a serious boating accident injury. Sometimes these incidents cause permanent disability. Joe Cunningham Law can hold irresponsible people accountable for the harm they’ve caused you and your family. If you were involved in a serious motorboat, jetski, or yacht accident in South Carolina and need to speak with an attorney near you, contact our Charleston personal injury law firm.

Legal Claims Against Watercraft Rental Companies

Many people rent a pontoon or jetski during the warmer months to enjoy their time on Charleston’s waterways. In some cases, responsible people wind up getting injured even though they were following South Carolina’s maritime laws and being careful while on their watercraft.

In these situations, the attorneys at Joe Cunningham Law can determine if the rental company bears some blame for what happened. If a boat, yacht, or jetski was not properly repaired or serviced, the rental company or maintenance company could be held liable. Similarly, a rental company could be held liable for failing to have fire extinguishers or life jackets on their watercraft.

Legal Claims Against Boat and Jetski Manufacturers

Sometimes the issue isn’t the person operating the yacht or pontoon; sometimes the watercraft is just not designed or manufactured properly. These design and manufacturing defects could cause issues with weight distribution, buoyancy, carbon monoxide emissions, or general seaworthiness.

If a boat or jetski manufacturer put defective products and vehicles on the market, the lawyers at Joe Cunningham Law can hold these parties accountable. We’ll stand up for South Carolina consumers who were hurt or could have been hurt because of poor safety standards and a desire to put profits over people.

Legal Claims After a Boating-Related Work Injury

Some workers in Charleston routinely use the local waterways to do their jobs. If you suffered serious work-related injuries while on a boat or any sort of vessel, you may be able to seek damages in addition to workers’ compensation depending on what happened.

The team at Joe Cunningham Law will review the details of the boating accident as part of a free consultation. We’ll let you know if you can file a third-party personal injury claim and what steps you should take next.

Contact Joe Cunningham Law About Your Watercraft Accident

It doesn’t matter if a major company or a reckless individual caused your injuries. Attorneys Joe Cunningham and Aaron Scheer believe that irresponsible parties need to be held accountable when they harm regular South Carolinians going about their day.

If you were in a serious motorboat, jetski, pontoon, or yacht accident in Charleston and need an experienced boating lawyer near you, contact Joe Cunningham Law today. You can also reach our personal injury attorneys by phone at 843-800-2726.