Indiana Watercraft Accident Lawyers

When summer comes around and the temperatures start to rise, some Hoosiers love nothing more than getting out on the water, whether on a boat, a jet ski, or another kind of watercraft. Unfortunately, the most pleasant afternoon on a river or lake can instantly become a nightmare when something goes awry, as evidenced by the 46 recreational boating deaths that have taken place on Indiana waterways in the last five years on record.

Even if you do manage to survive an Indiana watercraft accident, you could be left with punishing injuries requiring prolonged treatment that few Indiana families could afford by themselves, but you may be able to pursue a personal injury case when somebody else is to blame. To tip the odds in your favor, reach out to the Indiana watercraft accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, where we have been fiercely advocating on behalf of the seriously injured since we first opened our doors in 1998.

You can schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable Indiana watercraft accident attorney by calling us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form now.

Common Causes of Watercraft Accidents

There are many different sorts of personal watercraft in Indiana, and they could range in size from larger ships like yachts, motorboats, and houseboats to significantly smaller vessels like jet skis, sea-doos, water scooters, pontoons, kayaks, and canoes. Similarly, there are many different reasons why Indiana watercraft accidents could occur, though they are generally caused by human error, the most common examples of which are:

Operator inattention – The leading factor in recreational boating accidents nationwide has long been inattention by watercraft operators, who are far more likely to crash or capsize when they are distracted.
Improper lookout – Trailing right behind inattention as a factor in recent watercraft injuries is improper lookout. An operator must watch the water constantly or appoint another party to stand watch or else a critical development that demands an immediate response could be missed.
Inexperience – Anyone who assumes control of a vessel without putting in the hours necessary to master it could be a disaster waiting to happen. Nevertheless, Indiana law may not do enough to keep the inexperienced on land, permitting older would-be watercraft operators with valid driver’s licenses to hit the waves before completing a federally approved boater education program.
Speeding – Whether you are operating a more conventional boat or a single-person watercraft, speeding will make it tougher for you to see and evade other boaters and obstacles and for other boaters to see and evade you, which could make a violent collision inevitable.
Violating navigation rules – Watercraft operators are at greater risk of a crash when they violate the rules governing the safe navigation of vessels on public waters.
Alcohol use – Drunk boating can be as dangerous as drunk driving, a fact that the State of Indiana recognized when it set a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent as the legal threshold for intoxication for the operators of both motor vehicles and watercraft. Indeed, alcohol use is the number one contributor to domestic watercraft fatalities, claiming the lives of 79 Americans in 2023 and injuring over 200 others.

Aside from the poor decisions that watercraft operators and their passengers frequently make, a host of external elements could bring about an Indiana watercraft accident too, such as machinery failure, inclement weather, and hazardous waters. However, the external nature of these issues does not excuse whoever is at the helm of a watercraft from reacting to them appropriately so as not to inflict harm.

But no matter what the cause of your watercraft injury ultimately was, Hensley’s dedicated Indiana watercraft accident lawyers will hold everyone who may be liable for it to account.

Main Types of Watercraft Accidents

Just as watercraft accidents can have many different causes, they can also take many different forms, though the United States Coast Guard classifies the main types of watercraft accidents as:

Collisions – A watercraft that either strikes another watercraft or collides with an object above or below the water could damage its hull or initiate a potentially lethal tumble over the side.
Grounding – A vessel may grind to a halt when it scrapes against the side or bed of a lake or river, increasing the chances of the hull being breached or passengers being tossed into the water.
Flooding/swamping – Any watercraft that is carrying too much weight or whose weight has not been distributed evenly may get flooded or swamped with water and subsequently roll over or capsize.
Falling overboard – In addition to ending up in the water as a result of grounding or flooding, the occupants of a boat or vessel could fall overboard when they are subjected to jerky movements, abrupt changes in course, or sudden stops.
Fires and explosions – While big commercial ships and oil tankers are statistically more susceptible to fires and explosions, any watercraft that is loaded with combustible cargo could ignite or blow up.

Though the challenges that you could face in the wake of an Indiana watercraft accident may vary depending upon what type of accident it was, you can rely on our team of skilled legal practitioners to determine how best to proceed with your case.

How Our Indiana Watercraft Accident Attorneys Can Help

A major watercraft accident can turn not only your watercraft but your entire world upside down, overwhelming you with escalating expenses while simultaneously undermining your ability to earn the funds to cover them. Very soon, you could find yourself struggling to simply remain afloat financially, but the seasoned Indiana watercraft accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group can help.

Once retained, your lawyer will launch a comprehensive investigation to identify each of the defendants who played a role in your Indiana watercraft accident, a list that could be more substantial than you might think. The candidates might include the operator of the watercraft, its owner (if separate from the operator), the business deploying the watercraft (if separate from the owner), the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of a defective ship or part, and sometimes other individuals and entities as well.

Yet regardless of how many defendants there ultimately are, your attorney will establish valid claims and/or file suit against them all within the time allotted by law, then act swiftly to amass the materials needed to shore up your case.

If proof of wrongdoing by the defendants exists, a tenacious Indiana watercraft accident lawyer will plumb the depths until it surfaces.

Secure Top Dollar for Your Indiana Watercraft Accident

After putting together the strongest case possible against the defendants, our firm will enter into exhaustive negotiations with their insurance companies for a settlement that reflects the totality of your losses, including your:

Medical bills
Lost wages
Pain and suffering
Mental and emotional trauma
Mobility restrictions
Diminished quality of living
Loss of consortium

And if we do not receive an offer that is worthy of your claim, we are not afraid to go to trial for a verdict that is, unlike many of our competitors, who seldom, if ever, venture into a courtroom – and consequently leave money on the table that belongs in their clients’ pockets.

No two Indiana watercraft accidents are exactly the same, but Hensley Legal Group will always strive to secure top dollar for yours.

You Won’t Owe Us Anything Unless We Win

We imagine that you might be hesitant to agree to more expenditures when you have probably spent so much already, but our firm works on a contingency basis. This means that you won’t owe us anything unless our Indiana watercraft accident attorneys win your case.

At Hensley, we take on clients because we believe in them, and we are willing to take on every burden involved in making them whole again.

Get in Touch with Our Indiana Watercraft Accident Lawyers

Hensley Legal Group has been getting justice for the innocent victims of negligence for over a quarter century. If you have been hurt in a watercraft accident in Indiana through no fault of your own, get in touch with our Indiana watercraft accident lawyers to learn more about your legal options.

You can call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form for a complimentary case review with an accomplished Indiana watercraft accident attorney today.