What Should You Do Immediately After a Boating Accident?
In Kansas, boating accidents can occur on both lakes and rivers, often leading to serious injuries or even fatalities. Whether you were involved in a collision with another boat, hit an object, or experienced a mechanical failure, knowing how to act in the aftermath is crucial.
At Adams Cross, LLC, we understand that boating accidents can be traumatic and overwhelming. Boating accidents, like other personal injury incidents, require swift and effective action to protect your legal rights and confirm you receive proper medical treatment and compensation for any harm you may have suffered.
When a boating accident occurs, it’s easy to panic, but your actions in the moments following the incident can have a significant impact on your recovery, both physically and legally. If you or someone you know is involved in a boating accident in Olathe, Kansas, it’s important to take specific steps to safeguard your well-being and your potential personal injury claim.
Immediate Steps to Take After a Boating Accident in Kansas
The first thing to remember is that your safety and health come first. After an accident, your immediate concern should always be making sure that you and everyone involved in the incident receive medical attention if necessary. Once everyone is safe, you can take steps that will help protect your legal rights and support your personal injury case.
Kansas law requires anyone involved in a boating accident to take certain actions to preserve the safety of all parties involved and to comply with state regulations.
Boating accidents can be just as dangerous as automobile accidents, and the steps you take immediately afterward will help protect your rights as well as assist in any insurance claims, personal injury lawsuits, or criminal investigations that may follow.
1. Seek Medical Attention
Even if you don’t feel seriously injured after the accident, you should seek medical attention immediately. Boating accidents often result in injuries that may not be apparent right away, such as internal injuries or whiplash. Additionally, shock can mask pain, making it harder to recognize the severity of your injuries.
Injuries that are common in boating accidents include broken bones, lacerations, concussions, and spinal injuries. Some of these injuries can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Furthermore, seeking medical attention establishes a medical record of your injuries, which can be vital if you need to pursue a personal injury claim later.
At Adams Cross, LLC, we’ve seen how important it is to follow up with medical care, even after what seems like a minor accident. Prompt medical documentation can strengthen your personal injury claim and confirm that all necessary treatments are provided.
2. Move to Safety
If you are able to do so safely, move the boat or yourself to a secure location. This could mean moving the boat to the shore, or if the boat is severely damaged, it may mean leaving the water and getting to dry land. Staying at the scene of the accident is essential, but it’s also important to avoid further danger.
If you are able to safely assist others who may have been injured or are in distress, you should do so, but be careful not to make the situation worse by putting yourself in harm’s way. Keep in mind that boating accidents can happen in the middle of a lake, a river, or an area with heavy boat traffic, so getting to safety can also help prevent further collisions.
Kansas law requires that the boat operator involved in an accident remain at the scene to assist others. Fleeing the scene can have serious legal consequences. Failure to do so may also complicate any personal injury claims that arise later.
3. Call for Help
Once everyone is safe, you must notify the authorities about the accident. In Kansas, if the boating accident results in injury, death, or property damage over $500, you are required by law to report the incident to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism. In some cases, you may also need to notify local law enforcement.
Calling for help is not just a legal obligation, it’s also crucial for your personal injury case. Law enforcement or a responding agency will document the incident, take witness statements, and possibly file a report. This report can serve as valuable evidence if you later need to file a personal injury claim.
In addition to law enforcement, it may be necessary to call emergency medical services (EMS) if someone is seriously injured. If the accident involves multiple boats, additional boats, or even potential collisions with submerged objects, EMS can assist in providing immediate medical care and coordinating transport to a hospital if necessary.
4. Document the Scene
After receiving medical treatment and making sure that the proper authorities are notified, it is important to document the scene as thoroughly as possible. This documentation can help support your personal injury claim by providing evidence of the accident’s causes and the damages that occurred.
If you’re able to, take photographs of the scene, including any damage to the boats, injuries sustained, and the surrounding environment. In addition to photographs, it is helpful to write down your own account of the accident as soon as possible.
In cases where other parties are involved, it’s important to collect their contact information, including the names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance information of other boat operators.
The more evidence you gather, the more robust your personal injury claim will be. In some instances, eyewitnesses may be able to provide valuable testimony regarding the events leading up to the accident. As soon as you are able, reach out to Adams Cross, LLC to discuss how to collect evidence and build a case.
5. Cooperate With Authorities
As mentioned earlier, reporting the incident to authorities is a key step in the process. However, it’s equally important to fully cooperate with law enforcement or the responding agency. Answer any questions honestly and provide them with any requested documents.
This cooperation can help establish the facts surrounding the incident and determine the cause of the boating accident.
However, you should avoid admitting fault or making any statements that could be misinterpreted as accepting responsibility. Boating accidents can be caused by a variety of factors, and it’s best to let the authorities and legal professionals determine who is at fault.
As part of your cooperation, you may also be asked to provide a statement to your insurance company or to a lawyer, but be cautious of how you answer questions. Consulting with an attorney before making any statements can help protect your interests.
6. Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
After the immediate steps of dealing with the accident are taken care of, you should contact a personal injury lawyer experienced in boating accidents in Kansas.
At Adams Cross, LLC, we understand how overwhelming it can be to deal with a personal injury following a boating accident. An attorney can help you understand your rights, gather evidence, and determine the best course of action for filing a claim.
A personal injury lawyer can also guide you through the insurance process and help you negotiate with insurance companies to get compensation. In some cases, if liability for the accident is disputed, or if significant damages are involved, a lawyer can assist you in filing a lawsuit against the responsible parties.
In Kansas, boating accidents may involve not only the operators of other boats but also the manufacturers of faulty equipment, or even marinas where unsafe conditions led to the accident.
Whether you were injured due to someone else’s negligence or mechanical failure, having an attorney by your side is crucial to securing compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages related to the accident.
7. Follow Through with Medical Treatment
After the immediate aftermath of the boating accident, it’s crucial to continue any necessary medical treatments. Even if you initially felt fine after the accident, injuries may manifest in unexpected ways. Be diligent about attending follow-up appointments, undergoing any prescribed treatments, and keeping a record of your medical history related to the accident.
Your personal injury lawyer will work with your medical providers to understand the full scope of your injuries and will help confirm that all necessary treatments are considered when calculating compensation.
Reach Out for the Next Steps
At Adams Cross, LLC, we are committed to helping those injured in boating accidents pursue compensation. We’re proud to serve Olathe, Kansas, and the surrounding areas throughout Johnson County, Lawrence, Wyandotte County, and the Kansas City Metro area. Give us a call today to get started.