Accidents can happen no matter what type of vehicle you drive. With countless lakes, Wisconsin sees a fair share of boating accidents. If you or your loved one has been injured in a boating accident, educating yourself on Wisconsin’s boating laws will ensure that you get the compensation that is deserved.
Boating Accidents in Wisconsin
Did you know there were a total of 106 boating accidents reported in Wisconsin in 2o17? According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), this resulted in 79 injuries and 25 fatalities. The DNR reports that the number of injuries increased from 74 to 79 from 2016 to 2017. A majority of the incidents resulted from alcohol use and reckless/inexperienced operation. With boating incidents being so common, it’s important to know how you can seek legal action if you experience injuries.
Boating Laws in Wisconsin
According to “The Handbook of Wisconsin Boating Laws and Responsibilities Handbook” by the Wisconsin DNR, the following practices are illegal:
1. Reckless or Negligent Operation
Some examples of this are: driving in restricted areas, driving towards other vessels, harassing wildlife and operating at high speeds.
2. Operating a Boat with a Person Riding on the Bow, Deck or Gunwale
This refers to sitting on the front, back, and sides of the boat where there isn’t proper seating.
3. Overpowering
Overpowering refers to modifying your vessel to give it more power than is suitable for the water.
4. Overloading
This refers to having too many people on a vessel. Having too many people on a boat can weigh down your boat and forces people to sit on parts of the boat that don’t have proper seating.
5. Improper Speed
This refers to either going too slow, or too fast in the company of other vessels on the water.
Understanding the boating laws can lessen the chance of an accident, however, it’s important to know what to do after an accident happens.
What to do After a Boat Accident
Make sure to contact the authorities immediately after a boating accident, especially when someone is injured. If you are seeking compensation for injuries, you must prove that the person who caused the injury was acting negligently. For example, if the person was driving the boat at a high speed or in a prohibited area when you sustained the injury, you would have to prove that in order to receive compensation for damages.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Milwaukee
Don’t hesitate to seek compensation for injuries that occur in a boating accident. If your injuries were caused by someone else during a boating accident, it’s important to know what you can do in order to receive compensation for them. Call Gebhard Law Offices, where we specialize in personal injury suits of all kinds.