Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys 1010 W St Germain St #320 St Cloud, MN 56301 personal injury and car accident lawyer in St. Cloud

St. Cloud Boating Accident Lawyer

Get a Free Consultation
St. Cloud Boating Accident Lawyer

Water sports, fishing, and boating are popular throughout the state. Unfortunately, boating accidents are also common in Minnesota. The St. Cloud boating accident lawyers of Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys have seen the devastation caused by boating accidents. If you were involved in a boating accident call us at (320) 255-1000 for legal assistance.

Minnesota has 11,842 lakes. Therefore, the chances of a person being on a boat during their lifetime are reasonably high. A fun-filled day on the water can turn tragic in moments. Fortunately, our legal team can help you recover compensation for damages if you’ve been injured in a boating accident, St. Cloud catastrophic injury case, wrongful death claim, bicycle incident, St. Cloud motorcycle crash, or any other type of accident.

Contact our law office in St. Cloud, MN, today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced St. Cloud boating accident lawyer. Meet with a personal injury lawyer who cares about your best interests and puts you first.

How Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help if You’ve Been Hurt in a Boating Accident in St. Cloud

How Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help if You’ve Been Hurt in a Boating Accident in St. Cloud

A boating accident in St. Cloud, Minnesota, can be incredibly traumatizing. Our experienced St. Cloud personal injury lawyers fight to hold the parties responsible for your pain and suffering legally liable for your damages. For more than 40 years, our legal team has fought for the rights of injured victims and their families.

Our founding attorney Mike Hall started his legal career in 1970. He leads a team of skilled, seasoned, and compassionate lawyers dedicated to seeking justice for our clients. 

Our top-rated personal injury attorneys have been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers and Expertise. com. In addition, our lawyers have an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating a lawyer can receive.

When you hire the award-winning legal team at Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys, you can trust that we will:

  • Investigate the cause of your boating accident to discover who is responsible 
  • Monitor investigations by state and federal agencies
  • Work with expert witnesses to gather additional evidence when necessary
  • Calculate how much your case is worth based on your damages and losses
  • Handle all matters related to an insurance claim and lawsuit 
  • Negotiate for a fair settlement
  • Have an aggressive trial lawyer argue your case in court, if needed

You do not need to fight for fair compensation alone. Instead, you can have the full resources and experience of a top-rated Minnesota personal law firm on your side.

Contact our law office to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced boating accident lawyer in St. Cloud, MN.

Common Causes of Boating Accidents in St. Cloud, MN?

The Minnesota Department of National Resources reported 15 boating fatalities in 2022. Additionally, they reported 77 non-fatal boating accidents. Common causes of boating accidents in St. Cloud include:

  • Falls overboard
  • Capsizing
  • Colliding with a fixed object, such as a bridge or dock
  • Hitting another watercraft or boat
  • Fires and explosions
  • Slips, trips, and falls on the boat
  • Carbon monoxide exposure
  • Collision with an underwater object
  • Grounding (i.e., hitting bottom).
  • Hazardous water conditions
  • Excessive speeds
  • Poor weather conditions
  • Failure to keep a proper lookout
  • Operating the boat under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
  • Passenger negligence
  • Inexperienced operators and drivers
  • Defective equipment
  • Violation of navigational rules

Our St. Cloud boating accident lawyers handle all types of boating accidents in Minnesota. We are equipped to handle the most complex boat accident case.

Boating Accidents in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Cause Severe Injuries

The type of boating accident and the circumstances of the accident determine the types and severity of the injuries you sustain. All boating accidents can cause injuries that include:

  • Burn injuries and disfigurements
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Amputations and loss of limbs
  • Internal organ damage
  • Back injuries
  • Fractures and broken bones
  • Paralysis 
  • Soft tissue injury
  • Lacerations and puncture wounds
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Head injuries 

Boating injuries can also cause wrongful death. If you or a family member were injured in a boating accident, seek immediate medical treatment for your injuries. 

You need accurate, detailed medical records to link the boat accident to your injuries. Furthermore, delays in medical care could cause your injuries to worsen or become life-threatening. 

Proving Negligence and Fault After a St. Cloud Boating Accident

Many boating accidents in Minnesota are caused by negligence, which has a similar meaning to “carelessness.” Negligence is failing to exercise reasonable care and caution under the circumstances. Boat owners, operators, manufacturers, maintenance and repair shops, and other third parties could be liable for damages caused by a boating accident.

Proving negligence for a boat accident requires evidence proving:

  • The party responsible for causing the boat accident owed you a duty of care
  • The party breached the duty of care by something they did or failed to do
  • The beach of duty was the proximate and direct cause of the boat accident
  • You suffered damages and harm because of the boat accident

Some boat accidents involve defective machinery or equipment. If a defective product contributed to the cause of the boat accident, you might have a claim under product liability laws. If an employee caused a boat accident while performing their ordinary job duties, their employer could also be liable under vicarious liability doctrine.

What Damages Can I Receive for a Boating Accident in St. Cloud, MN?

Boating accident victims can incur substantial financial losses. Compensation for economic damages can include money for your:

  • Medical bills
  • Personal care
  • Lost wages and benefits
  • In-home nursing care
  • Physical, occupational, and other rehabilitative therapies
  • A decrease in earning capacity
  • Out-of-pocket expenses

In addition to their financial damages, accident victims also experience pain and suffering because of the accident. Compensation for non-economic damages includes money for your:

  • Emotional distress and mental anguish, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression
  • The loss of and decrease in quality of life
  • Disabilities and impairments
  • Physical discomfort and pain
  • Scarring and disfigurement 

Courts in Minnesota can award punitive damages in some personal injury cases. You would need, for example, to prove that the party who caused your injury acted with a deliberate disregard for the safety of other people.

How Much Is My St. Cloud Boating Accident Case Worth?

Each personal injury case is unique. The facts and circumstances of your case impact your chances of receiving a fair settlement or jury award. The details of your case also determine how much your claim is worth. 

How much your case is worth depends on factors such as:

  • The severity of your injuries
  • The types of injuries you sustained
  • Your ability to return to work
  • Developing a permanent, disabling condition, or disfigurement 
  • The duration of your recovery 
  • Whether you could be partially at fault for causing the boat accident
  • The strength of your evidence
  • The availability of adequate insurance coverage

Careful documentation of damages increases the value of your injury claim. Try to take pictures of your injuries as you heal, and keep a journal detailing your recovery. The more information you can provide to your St. Cloud personal injury lawyer, the stronger your case becomes.

Can I Recover Damages for a Boating Accident if I’m Partly To Blame?

If your actions contributed to the cause of the boating accident, it affects your compensation for personal injury. You could not receive any compensation for damages if you were more than 51% to blame. However, if your fault is below that amount, Minnesota comparative fault laws do not bar you from recovering money for your claim.

Instead, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, suppose a jury said you were 15% to blame for causing the boating accident. The court would reduce any monetary award from the jury by 15 percent.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Boating Accidents in Minnesota?

The statute of limitations in Minnesota sets deadlines for filing claims and lawsuits for personal injuries and accidents. Calculating the deadline for filing a lawsuit can be confusing. Therefore, it is best to let our St. Cloud boating accident lawyers determine the deadline for you. 

If you miss the deadline to file a claim, you give up your legal right to pursue compensation in a court of law.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire a St. Cloud Boating Accident Lawyer?

We sincerely care about what happened to you and are passionate about seeking justice. Therefore, we do not want the cost of hiring Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys to prevent you from seeking legal counsel.

Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. Therefore, instead of collecting a retainer fee when you hire our law firm, we agree to accept a percentage of the amount we recover as your attorney’s fees.

With a contingency fee, you do not pay any legal fees upfront when you hire our St. Cloud injury lawyers. You also don’t owe us attorney’s fees unless we win or settle your case.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our St. Cloud Boating Accident Lawyers

You could be entitled to substantial compensation for a boating accident. However, the at-fault party and their insurance provider are not interested in paying you a fair settlement amount. 

We can help you get a fair amount for your injury claim. Contact Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys for a free case review with a St. Cloud boating accident attorney. 

Our personal injury law firm in St. Cloud, MN, also provides:

Call Now Button