Chicago Accident and Injury Lawyer Blog

The weather is warming up in Chicagoland as spring has finally arrived. With the warmer weather comes an increase in outdoor recreational activities, including boating. Boating is a lot of fun, but it can also be extremely dangerous. As a Chicago personal injury lawyer, I have represented many people injured in boating accidents. It is imperative that boat operators do not drink and drive and that the U.S. Coast Guard Rules are followed to avoid collisions between watercraft.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, alcohol is the leading contributing factor in boating accidents; in 2007, alcohol was listed as the leading factor in 21% of the boat-related deaths.

Sadly, on the evening of Easter Sunday, a tragic boating accident occurred near St. Augustine, Florida, that took the lives of five people and seriously injured seven others. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is leading the investigation into this tragedy. According to FWC investigators, a 22-foot boat with 12 people on board struck the the rear and right side of a 25-foot tugboat. In 2007, collisions between boats accounted for 1,329 of the boating accidents reported to the U.S. Coast Guard. These collisions resulted in 66 deaths and 953 injuries.