Maritime Boating Accidents

Serving communities along California's Pacific Coast from Port Hueneme and Ventura to Pismo Beach and Morro Bay, the personal injury attorneys at the Santa Barbara law office of Pulverman & Pulverman, LLP represent people who have been seriously injured in maritime boating accidents involving negligence, reckless conduct, or defective watercraft and related products.

Recreational boating accidents are responsible for hundreds of deaths each year, as well as several thousand injuries and millions of dollars in property damage. The majority of deaths are due to drowning, mostly by people who were not wearing life jackets. A number of accidents and injuries are alcohol-related as well.

Personal Injury Attorneys Leaving No Stone Unturned

Just as with automobile accidents, our lawyers and investigators look into every accident to determine all the contributing factors, including defective products as well as negligence of the operator. Just as with cars, boats can be defectively designed or have defective parts which cause or contribute to an accident. If required safety equipment is missing or nonoperational, or if instructions and warnings are missing or unclear, the vessel may be defective from the point of view of products liability law.

Where operator error was the cause, we look not only to the operator but the owner as well, who may also be liable under the legal principle known as vicarious liability. In the case of tour boats, cruise ships and other commercial operations, the company is often required to ensure that its employees are adequately trained.

The cause of an accident may be difficult to untangle, and in the case of recreational watercraft such as motorboats and jet skis, the question is often raised whether the injured plaintiff was acting safely or recklessly when the accident occurred. Even if partially at fault, negligent behavior on the part of the injured plaintiff does not excuse negligence or misconduct on the part of the defendant, and we will work to hold the defendant accountable to the fullest extent of that party's responsibility for the accident.

A Serious Approach to Serious Injuries

Boating accidents often result in some of the most serious and catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and wrongful death. Long-term or permanent debilitating injuries can be prohibitively expensive in terms of care and treatment, to say nothing of the emotional toll and physical pain involved. We take every case seriously and use our years of experience and skills from the negotiating table to the courtroom to obtain the best possible recovery for our clients. If you or a loved one has been injured in a maritime boating accident, contact Pulverman & Pulverman, LLP for a free consultation regarding how we may be able to help.