Aug 22, 2012 | Boating Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Force Majeure clauses ( or Acts of God Clauses) are used in contracts to prevent someone from suffering if an intervening cause interrupts the person’s performance of the contract.
However, how can one protect themselves from natural disasters in other manners, particularly; how would one deal with rescuing a double amputee during a horrific thunderstorm turned deadly.
Accordingly, a pontoon boat capsized on Lake Moultrie in South Carolina this past Sunday, claiming the life of a still unidentified person. There were 6 people who were thrown from the boat, but only one fatality has been confirmed. The other 5 victims swam safely to the nearest dam and hold on until the Rescue Team arrived.
Sadly, the unidentified person drowned while attempting to rescue a double amputee who was a passenger of the pontoon boat, and also thrown from the ship during the storm.
According to Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski, she had given the locals a warning as she announced that “damaging winds and downpours are the greatest dangers from the powerful thunderstorms targeting far southeastern Virginia and the eastern Carolinas.”
It is a tragedy that one person heard the warning, but still mounted the pontoon boat, only to later drown while attempting to rescue one who could not rescue themselves.
The South Carolina Boating Accident Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP.
If you have been injured as a result of any type of boating accident, you should contact the experienced attorneys at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower LLP., to help you obtain the justice you deserve.For more information about our firm, please visit www.rjrlaw.com or call us directly at 877-374-5999 for a private consultation.
Aug 22, 2012 | Boating Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
The Waccanaw River in South Carolina has claimed the life of one, and has seriously disrupted the life of another.Apparently this last Saturday, there was an accident involving a boat, a tree, and a couple of college kids.
According to the Department of Natural Resources Investigators, the investigation is still underway and will take weeks to figure out what exactly happened. All that is being released thus far is that the boat the three college kids were on collided with some trees sometime shortly before 7:00 p.m. Thereafter, one of the students was pronounced dead on scene, and the other two were taken to the hospital.
One father’s daughter was on that boat, and was still in the Intensive Care Unit at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center as of Monday night, where she remained unconscious until 9:00 p.m., where she thereafter opened her eyes 6-7 times that night and into the next morning.
What is really the heart of the problem, as stated by the girl’s father is “with South Carolina’s boating laws, because it is not required to have insurance in order to own a boat. ” His daughter was transported to the hospital via helicopter, and now the weight of the bills have fallen onto the shoulders of the father, as though his punishment is not already grave enough.
Boat Accident Lawyers
The attorneys of Reeves Aiken & Hightower LLP stand ready to fight for you and your family if you have been in such an accident in South Carolina. We encourage you to visit our website at www.rjrlaw.com and compare our attorneys’ credentials to any other firm. You can then call us toll-free at 877-374-5999 for a private, confidential consultation to review your particular case.
Jul 28, 2012 | Boating Accidents, Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Car Accidents, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Just as summer is heating up, so are patrols by law enforcement to try and stop people who may be “boating under the influence” (BUI). Law enforcement around the country is gearing up for Operation Dry Water which to crack down on BUI’s on the water. The goal of this enforcement is to increase safety on the water so that this recreational activity can be enjoyed with less fear of “drunk boaters.” Just as serious as drinking and driving, so is drinking and operating a boat. The potential legal consequences as well as the safety of others on the water are essentially the same. Recent statistics show that up to 16% of boating fatalities result from boating while under the influence. Sadly, almost any accident involving other boats or swimmers almost always results in serious injury and/or death. There are no seatbelts or airbags on a boat. At a minimum, people suffer broken bones.
If you have had a couple drinks and feel as though you should not operate a motor vehicle, the same applies to the operation of a boat. The article below is a stark reminder of how serious the consequences can be. Have fun out at the lake or river. Please be safe, not only for others but for yourself as well.
The DUI attorneys of Reeves Aiken & Hightower LLP stand ready to fight for you and your family if you have been seriously injured by a drunk boater. We encourage you to visit our website at www.rjrlaw.com and carefully compare our attorneys’ credentials to any other firm. You can then call us toll-free at 877-374-5999 for a private, confidential consultation to review your particular case.
Man arrested in deadly boat collision on Ga. lake
By JEFF MARTIN
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) – Crews will resume their search Wednesday for a 13-year-old boy who disappeared in a Georgia lake after a fishing boat rammed a pontoon boat, killing a 9-year-old boy and injuring three other passengers on the vessel.
Authorities said the fishing boat left the area after the Monday night collision. Searchers using sonar found no trace of the missing youth Tuesday and authorities in Hall County said the search would continue Wednesday.
They said 44-year-old Paul J. Bennett of Cumming was arrested Tuesday and charged with boating under the influence. A home number for Bennett could not be located, and it wasn’t known whether he has an attorney representing him.
There were 13 people aboard the pontoon boat when it was struck.
Jul 10, 2012 | Boating Accidents, Uncategorized
Duke University sophomore wide receiver, Blair Holliday, was injured in a boating accident on the Fourth on Lake Tillery. After the incident, Holliday was flown to UNC Trauma Center.
The incident involved two jet skis and Holliday’s teammate Jamison Crowder.
Lake Tillery is an hour east of Charlotte, just south of Uwharrie National Forest and about an hour south of the Triangle.
Serious Boating Accident Attorneys
When you or someone you know have been injured in a boating accident, the experienced boating accident attorneys at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower are ready to fight for you. Browse our website, and compare our credentials with those of attorneys at any other firm. Then, call us at 877-374-5999 or contact us at this link for a private consultation. Our practice spans the Carolinas, we can come to you.
Jun 27, 2012 | Boating Accidents, Uncategorized
Boating, when proper care is taken, is a fairly safe activity, but you still might wonder what the most dangerous boats on the water are. The most accident prone watercraft in order are:
- Open motorboats – 2,220 deaths and injuries per year
- Personal Watercraft (PWC) – 1,049 deaths and injuries per year
- Cabin Motorboats – 336 deaths and injuries per year
- Canoes and Kayaks – 200 deaths and injuries per year
- Pontoon Boats – 127 deaths and injuries per year
The most dangerous contributing factors were found to be (although 1860 annual deaths and injuries were attributable to other causes):
- Operator inattention – 628 deaths and injuries per year
- Careless Operation – 552 deaths and injuries per year
- Passenger or Skier Behavior – 492 deaths and injuries per year
- Excessive Speed – 473 deaths and injuries per year
- Alcohol – 391 deaths and injuries per year
The most dangerous bodies of water, as measured by number of accidents, were:
- Lakes, ponds, reservoir, dams, and gravel pits – 2,409 annual accidents (340 deaths/1,814 injuries)
- Rivers, streams, and creeks – 1,088 annual accidents (153 deaths/845 injuries
- Bays, inlets, sounds, and harbors – 657 annual accidents (75 deaths/407 injuries)
- Open water – 138 annual accidents (51 deaths/149 injuries)
- The Great Lakes – 106 annual accidents (34 deaths/64 injuries)
The source of all of these statistics is the US Coast Guard Boating Safety Accident Report.
Boating Accident Lawyers
When you’ve been in a boating accident, the experienced boat accident attorneys at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower are ready to fight for you. Browse our website, and compare our credentials with those of attorneys at any other firm. Then, call us at 877-374-5999 or contact us at this link for a private consultation. Our practice spans the Carolinas, we can come to you.
Jun 26, 2012 | Boating Accidents, Uncategorized
When someone is injured in any type of accident, often the last thing on their mind is a lawsuit. But in our society, if an individual wants to be made whole after an accident, they have to take certain steps, and avoid certain pitfalls, to maintain their right to recovery. After an accident, make sure you:
- See a doctor, soon. Even if you are someone who shies away from the doctor’s office normally, you need to protect yourself from hidden injuries. Back and neck injuries may be present without pain, but may harm you in the long run.
- Investigate your accident. Write down the names, telephone numbers, and addresses for all people involved, including boat captains, passengers, bystanders, and other witnesses. You should also take down all insurance information you can find.
- Loose lips sink ships. Only talk to the law enforcement and natural resources officers about the accident. Sure, report your claim to your insurance company, but you are very unlikely to say something to another insurance company’s representative to help your claim.
- Never sign anything without an attorney. Other parties may try to get you to sign a release or settle. This is almost certainly a bad idea. Contact an attorney to get the full recovery you are entitled to.
- Get your claim rolling as soon as possible. By contacting an experienced boating accident attorney at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower.
The experienced attorneys at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower are ready to fight for you. Browse our website, and compare our credentials with those of attorneys at any other firm. Then, call us at 877-374-5999 or contact us at this link for a private consultation. Our practice spans the Carolinas, we can come to you.
