Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Personal Injury Law Blogs -> Maryland Accident Law Blog

Personal Injury Law

: Maryland Accident Law Blog

Maryland Boating Accident: Teenager Seriously Hurt While Trying to Dock a Personal Watercraft

By Jack Lebowitz, Esq. and Vadim Mzhen, Esq.

A 13-year-old was recently rushed to Johns Hopkins Shock Trauma Hospital after he was seriously injured in a Maryland boating accident in West Ocean City?s Herring Creek. The accident occurred while the juvenile was trying to dock the personal watercraft. Instead, the teenager maneuvered the boat under the dock. The force of the crash caused the boy to get tossed from the vessel and into the water.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police Special Operation Division is investigating the boating accident. Meantime, Brian Jay Dalamater was charged with knowingly letting a person younger than 16 operate the boat and of failing to have a valid boat registration.

With summer fast approaching, this Maryland boating accident is a reminder of why it is so important for people to follow the proper safety precautions when riding a boat. In 2008:

? 9 people died in Maryland boating accidents.
? 222 people were arrested for operating a vessel while impaired.

Common causes of Maryland boating accidents:

? Boating under the influence
? Boater negligence
? Boater misconduct
? Operator inexperience
? Defective watercrafts
? Bad weather

Common kinds of Maryland boating accidents:

? Boating collisions
? Falls overboard
? Capsized boats
? Getting lost at sea
? Sinking boats
? Fires on boats
? Boat blasts

An all too common cause of boating accidents is ignorance?not being aware of boating laws and safety regulations and failing to understand that operator inexperience or carelessness can lead to catastrophic if not fatal consequences.

BOAT ACCIDENT: 13-year-old seriously injured in docking attempt, DelmarvaNOW.com, May 25, 2009

Our Say: Boating safety based on knowledge and basic rules, Hometown Annapolis, June 7, 2009

Related Web Resources:
US Coast Guard

Maryland Natural Resources Police

Contact our Maryland personal injury law firm to speak with one of our experienced boating accident lawyers.

Full post as published by Maryland Accident Law Blog on June 07, 2009 (boomark / email).