Mono Lake is known for its otherworldly beauty and unique alkaline water. The lake, located near Yosemite National Park, has salty water making it very easy and fun to float in. Mono Lake’s one-of-a-kind mineral towers also offer some truly gorgeous photo opportunities.
People from cities like Fresno and Sacramento head up to Mono Lake to get away, but unfortunately, there’s no escaping the sometimes careless actions of boat drivers and passengers that can create injury dangers.
A boat operator’s mistake or a boat tour company’s negligence might leave you as a California boating accident victim. You may soon have to figure out how to get financial help with an expensive injury recovery.
A Free Consultation After a Boating Accident on Mono Lake
There’s no need to wonder about your boating accident case and if it’s worth filing an insurance claim over. Contact Maison Law of California to find out what your injury is worth and how many parties may owe you compensation.
It’s a no-risk way to go over your best options as your hospital bills pile up and you miss more and more time at work. This consultation is with a real lawyer and comes with no obligation to you. In fact, if you decide to hire our lawyers, you won’t need any money. We don’t charge an attorney’s fee unless we win your case.
Mono Lake Boating Accident Dangers
Mono Lake is open to all types of boats, but there are certain dangers that come with enjoying such a unique lake. The lake is not open for watersports, because traveling at high speeds is so dangerous. There are many underwater “tufa” mineral formations that stick up close to the surface that can wreck boats.
There’s also no fishing to do in the alkaline waters, so enjoying the scenery, relaxing, and swimming are the most popular activities.
With all of the peaceful activities, boat operators can still travel too fast and become too reckless around other boats. Boats can collide with other watercraft too. A boat may carelessly take out someone in a canoe or a kayak, causing a real threat to the lives involved.
There are also boating tours available on the lake. Those tour operators may make a negligent decision that endangers you or a family member. They can be held accountable for these actions.
Identifying Who is Liable For Your Boating Accident Injury
It’s important to have a skilled personal injury lawyer on your side after a boating mishap, to make sure you aren’t missing out on valuable compensation.
An injury claim filed against an individual boat owner may not earn you enough money to fully pay off your hospital bills. But there are often other parties at-fault in a boating mishap. It’s possible to seek compensation from more than one party to help in your injury recovery
A boat captain may be at-fault for speeding or making a careless maneuver too close to another boat. The boat operator could be guilty of a BUI (Boating Under the Influence) under the same guidelines as the driver of a car. They could be found fully responsible if they cause injury to you.
Boating passengers can also make careless decisions that hurt people inside or outside the boat. A boat manufacturer may bear liability in your accident if a design flaw or part failure causes you or a loved one harm.
On lakes where scenic tours are popular, touring companies must take responsibility for the safety of their customers.
These are just a few of the hazards that might result in an injury claim while renting watercraft or participating in a tour:
- Boat captain’s negligence. The operator of the tour boat could be unqualified and downright too careless to work for a boating business. A check of the boat captain’s past history might also serve to hold the company liable. If they didn’t do proper background checks before turning over the boat keys, they could owe all victims compensation.
- The boat business may not provide adequate safety equipment to ensure your safety after an accident.
- The marina the boating company operates out of might be liable for an injury on the dock. The tour company could also face blame.
- A boat rental company may provide you with an unsafe watercraft. They may not have been performing the required maintenance on their boats.
- A boating business may be owned by several people or a corporation. It may also be run by the parks department. In this case, those owners or the state of California might be worth filing a claim against.
It’s generally accepted that in the majority of cases, a boating collision is partially the fault of both boat drivers. They are both supposed to show care to other boaters and in many cases, either operator could have made the right choice to prevent an accident.
However, there are other cases where a reckless and perhaps even intoxicated boat captain can act with true disregard for safety. In these cases, your California boating accident lawyer would work to prove that you bear no liability and in fact should be awarded money to help with a physical and financial injury recovery.
Who Provides Compensation in a Boating Accident Claim
Unfortunately, boating accidents aren’t covered by a driver’s or owner’s car accident insurance. Some homeowners insurance policies do provide some coverage to the victims of lake accidents.
There’s also additional boating/watercraft accident coverage that can be purchased. If you are making payments on your boat, your lender may require this insurance. Some insurance policies cover the damage or injuries you cause. Some options offer compensation if you are hit by an uninsured boater.
When an at-fault boater doesn’t have insurance coverage for a boat accident, you may be facing a difficult challenge when you seek injury support. The boater may not have savings or personal property to offer you in a lawsuit. Your injury recovery may have to come out of your own pocket and rely on your health insurance coverage.
In this situation, it’s a good idea to consult with a personal injury lawyer to make sure there aren’t options you haven’t considered.
Contact a Boating Accident Lawyer Serving California Victims
If you or a loved one are hurt due to someone’s negligence on the water, don’t trust an insurance company to provide for your full recovery. A California boating accident attorney can keep an insurance company from downplaying your injury and getting away with providing you with less than you need.
Contact a skilled California boating accident lawyer like Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law. Mr. Gasparian offers a free, no-risk case consultation to all victims and their family members. If you choose him to represent your injury claim, he doesn’t get paid unless he wins your case.
