Personal Injury Law

Missouri boating accidents claim dozens of lives each year

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Missouri is fortunate to have many beautiful lakes and iconic rivers that are often filled with recreational and industrial vehicles. Unfortunately, accidents can and do happen on Missouri?s waterways.

In recent years, Missouri has seen hundreds of boating accidents with up to 23 fatalities annually. These accidents can have many causes ranging from drunken boat drivers at the Lake of the Ozarks to industrial barge accidents on the Mississippi. Many of these accidents leave people injured and families struggling to cope with medical expenses.

For this reason, laws have been passed to protect Missouri boaters. Missouri recently lowered the legal blood alcohol content levels for boaters to .08, which matches the standards for Missouri drivers.

If you work on a barge and are injured on board, the federal Jones Act allows you to sue your employer if their negligence led to the accident. Your employer may be responsible for your medical bills and a pay allowance while you are injured.

Jones Act cases are more complicated than worker?s compensation cases as there is more of a burden to prove negligence on the part of the employer. Because of this, barge and boat accidents must be investigated by an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. These cases are time sensitive and evidence can be lost if not gathered quickly.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on August 27, 2008 (boomark / email).