boat accidentIt’s summertime once again! It’s the perfect time to be under the sun, enjoying the beach, or taking in the sights from aboard boats. If this is your kind of activity, then you should know how important it is to take steps for your own safety.

As fun as it is to be on boats, the risk is also high for getting injured or having an accident. Especially if you are not all that familiar with the workings of a boat, it would be good for you to know some of the more common safety tips for boating. That way, you can simply enjoy your summer excursion with family and friends during the summer. 

Bring Safety Equipment

So you’ve got your hat, shades, and other beach essentials with you for your boating trip. But do you have safety equipment onboard? If you’re renting out a boat and driving it by yourself, it’s important that you make sure you have all the necessary tools and equipment for your safety during the ride out in the waters.

Typically, boats will have some of this equipment ready on board, such as life vests, safety floaters, and emergency first aid kits. If not, however, it would be up to you to bring them for your own peace of mind. 

Mind the Booze

You shouldn’t drink and drive. This applies whether you’re driving a car or boats. Especially if you are the one controlling the boat, it is not advisable for you to be intoxicated while on the job. As designated driver, or in this case boatman, it is your responsibility to bring your passengers back to safety on land.

Even if you’re simply onboard as a passenger, however, you still should mind your alcohol intake. As any Las Vegas boating accident lawyer can tell you, injuries sustained from going overboard because they’ve had a little too much to drink can be a pretty common case, especially during the summer. 

Do not be part of the statistics. Take as much care as you can while you’re on the boat, so you can continue to have fun and enjoy the rest of the summer. 

Keep Your Life Vest On

Life vests are required by law in many states to be worn at all times, especially if you are going water skiing or other water activities that require being towed in the water. Looking ahead, wearing a life vest is also proof of exercising due diligence on your part, in case you end up filing a personal injury claim, with the help of a Las Vegas accident lawyer. 

How a lawyer can help if there are any accidents

Here’s the not-so-fun part. In case you do get into a boating accident, and you believe that it is by no fault of your own, then it’s best that you seek counsel from Las Vegas injury attorneys at the soonest possible instance to seek recompense. 

As with any other personal injury case, your personal injury North Las Vegas lawyer will need you to deliver a comprehensive statement about what happened during the accident. That’s not the entirety of the story, however.

To build a strong case with the help of your North Las Vegas personal injury lawyer, you also need to establish that you took steps to ensure your safety during the boating trip. This is the due diligence mentioned above. 

If you fall overboard, for example, because the boat driver veered to another direction at a certain angle and speed, you can show that the action was excessive resulting in your accident.

More than that, however, you should also be able to show that you were following safety protocols, such as wearing a life vest, were not intoxicated, and were not precariously positioned on the side of the boat, where you could easily fall off. 

These tiny details may be easy to miss at that moment, but this is exactly what your Las Vegas personal injury attorney, such as those from Dobberstein Law Group, will be looking for in order for them to build you a clear and convincing personal injury case.