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Motorboat Accident Lawyer

Motorboat Accident Lawyer

California Motorboat Injury Attorney Preston Easley Helps Victims of Motorboat Accidents in San Pedro, San Diego, and Throughout CA Collect Maximum Compensation for Their Injuries and Losses

Perhaps because motorboats are vastly less numerous than cars, many people mistakenly assume that motorboats are somehow “safer” and less likely to be involved in accidents. The fact is, though, that hundreds of people are killed in motorboat accidents every year, not only these ship’s operators, but also recreational swimmers, fishermen, and other residents and tourists enjoying these states’ ample marine attractions. If you or a loved one were involved in a motorboat accident, speak with a skilled motorboat accident lawyer today.

Maritime Accident Lawyer Preston Easley is a Graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. You Can Rely on His Expertise in Maritime Law to Protect Your Rights. Contact Him Today For a Free Consultation About Your Case.

Lax Requirements For California Motorboat Owners And Operators

As you can imagine, given its thousands of miles of coastline, the state of California has some very specific regulations concerning the operation of motorboats. In California, children under 16 years of age are not allowed to operate motorboats exceeding 15 horsepower, but 12- to 15- year olds can pilot these boats if they’re under the supervision of someone aged at least 18. (If the thought of an 18-year-old teaching a 12-year-old how to drive a powerful motorboat instills you with a sense of dread, you’re not alone).

Details vary by location, but California law sets a motorboat speed limit of 5 miles per hour when the vessel is within 100 feet of a bather or 200 feet of a populated beach or diving platform; the DUI laws in California waters are identical to those on land, with a blood alcohol limit of 0.08 percent.  According to California accident statistics, 25 percent of all motorboat accidents are caused by excessive drinking, either by pilots or passengers. Finally, all children under 13 years old are required to wear life jackets.

In California motorboat owners and operators are not compelled to obtain licenses or carry boating insurance, although the vessel does have to be registered, with prominently displayed stickers showing the registration number. In lieu of licenses or other means of regulation, the state offers various boating safety classes, though it’s unclear how many motorboat owners take advantage of these classes unless ordered to by a judge usually as the result of a serious accident or infraction.

Your Right To Sue For A Boating Accident

As a general rule, the drivers of motorboats, their passengers, and any bathers or fishermen in the immediate vicinity are subject to the same liabilities, and opportunities to recover damages, as their car-driving counterparts on land.  If you are an innocent bather or recreational boater who has been injured by a recklessly driven motorboat, you can sue the owner and/or operator of the boat for damages, and if you’re a driver or passenger who has been involved in an accident caused by a defective motorboat, you can potentially sue the manufacturer. The motorboat’s operator can also sue recklessly behaving passengers, or other boaters whose negligence directly precipitates the accident.

California Motorboat Accident Claims And Wrongful Death Attorneys

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In California a high percentage of motorboat accidents are caused by inebriation—and, it should be no surprise that many motorboat mishaps in this state involve some combination of underage drivers and excessive alcohol because teenagers are permitted to operate boats even if they cannot yet drive.

If you have been injured in a motorboat accident, or by a motorboat piloted by an inappropriately supervised minor, you may be entitled to sue the parents (or the boat’s owner) for damages, and if the driver of the motorboat (whether a minor or an adult) was inebriated, you may have recourse to recover damages from the restaurant, bar or liquor store that provided the alcohol.  Only an experienced maritime lawyer can tell you for sure — call or email our law firm today for a free consultation.

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Cases We Handle

  • maritime worker working on ship

    Longshoremen & Shipyard Workers

    Longshoring and shipyard work are very dangerous occupations. Workers in these fields, along with marine construction workers, are covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, a very generous no-fault workers’ compensation system. It covers medical expenses, temporary disability, permanent disability and vocational rehabilitation.

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  • sea vessel docked at US shore

    Jones Act Seamen

    A seaman is a member of the crew of a vessel or group of vessels under common ownership or control. The vessel can be anything from a raft to a cargo ship. We represent seamen who work aboard recreational vessels, tugboats, dredges, barges, skiffs, workboats and cargo ships. We also represent seamen who are marine construction workers

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  • Diving

    We represent people who have been injured in SCUBA diving accidents and Commercial diving accidents. We also handle diving boat accidents. Diving can be very dangerous. We successfully represented a commercial diver who was seriously injured while cleaning the propeller of a U.S. Navy ship at Pearl Harbor

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  • accident at construction site and hard hat on floor

    Construction & Industrial Accidents

    Construction and industrial sites can be very dangerous. Although you generally cannot sue your own employer for a construction site or industrial accident (generally workers’ compensation is your exclusive remedy against your employer) there are many circumstances in which you can file a third party lawsuit against an entity other than your employer for an unsafe condition at a work site which causes you to be injured

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  • Forklift and Crane Injuries Lawyer

    Crane & Forklift Accidents

    The Easley firm has extensive experience with crane and forklift accidents and workplace accidents involving dangerous equipment and machinery. These accidents can be caused by operator error and they can be caused by the unsafe and defective condition of the equipment

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  • auto accident involving two cars on a city street

    Motor Vehicle & Truck Accidents

    Motor vehicle accidents can result in serious injury and death. These kinds of accidents can involve automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and unsafe road design and unsafe road conditions

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  • Catamaran Injuries Attorney

    Passenger Vessel Accidents

    Passenger accidents are common on recreational vessels, catamarans, tour boats and cruise ships.  They are frequently caused by rough sea conditions and unsafe conditions aboard the vessels.  The Easley firm has extensive experience in the field of maritime law.  We have made new law in the field of maritime law with numerous precedent setting decisions in the State Appellate Courts, the Ninth Circuit Federal Court

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  • Defense Base Act

    The Defense Base Act is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act which covers civilian employees of U.S. defense contractors injured overseas, including war zones. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensations Act as extended by the Defense Base Act is a very generous no fault workers’ compensation system

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Areas Where We Practice

Preston Easley is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He served five years of active duty as a Naval officer — three years as a deck officer on a fast frigate and two years as a patrol boat skipper. Mr. Easley also served aboard a tank landing ship in the reserves.

waves

California

Hawaii

Let Us Get You The Compensation You Deserve

Preston Easley is an experienced lawyer with considerable expertise in handling federal and state personal injury cases. He will aggressively seek the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to receive. Attorney Easley represents victims of serious and fatal accidents involving cars, trucks, construction projects and maritime work.

Construction Workers We Help

  • Crane and Forklift Operators
  • Pile Drivers
  • Scaffold Workers
  • Iron Workers
  • Carpenters
  • Electricians
  • Operating Engineers
  • Electricians

Maritime Workers We Help

  • National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) Shipyard Workers
  • Manson Construction Company Workers
  • Manson Dredging Workers
  • Dutra Dredging Workers
  • Commercial Divers
  • Scuba Divers
  • Commercial Fisherman
  • Government Maritime Claims Against the Navy, Army Corps of Engineers, or the US Coast Guard, etc.
  • Marine Construction Workers
  • Offshore Oil and Gas Workers
  • Seamen
  • Shipyard Workers
  • YYK Enterprises, Inc.
  • Pacific Tugboat Service
  • Long Beach Container Terminal
  • Tugboat, Dredge, Longshoremen, and Ferry Workers
  • Barge Crews and Barge Workers
  • Marisco Limited
  • HL Welding
  • SSA Marine
  • Catalina Express
  • R.E. State Engineering
  • Shimmick Construction
  • Nova Group
  • American Scaffolding
  • Safway Scaffolding
  • Kirby Tugs
  • Crowley Tugboats
  • P&R Water Taxi
  • Continental Maritime
  • Pacific Ship Repair
  • Seaward Marine
  • Healy Tibbitts
  • General Construction
  • BAE Shipyards
  • South Coast Welding
  • Matson
  • Pasha
  • Hawaii Stevedores, Inc.
  • McCabe, Hamilton & Renny
  • Young Brothers
  • Sause Bros.
  • Foss Maritime
  • Fenix Marine Services
  • ITS
  • Total Terminals
  • TraPac
  • PCMC
  • Maersk
  • Yang Ming
  • China Overseas Shipping
  • Evergreen

Boating Accidents

  • Catamaran Accidents
  • Charter and Tour Boats
  • Cruise Ship Accidents
  • Passenger Accidents
  • Jet Ski and Personal Watercraft
  • Motorboat Accidents
  • Recreational Accidents
  • Scuba Diving Accidents
  • Speed Boat Accidents
  • Yachts and Sail Boat Accidents
  • Repair Accidents
  • Crew Accidents
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