Portland Boating Accident Attorney
Boating accidents in and around the Portland area often lead to significant injuries and property damage for those involved. At Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC, we are here to help if you need a Portland boating accident attorney by your side. Our team has the resources necessary to investigate your boating accident, handle conversations with insurance carriers and other parties, and help you recover compensation for your losses.
Portland Boating Accident Resources
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Why Choose Our Boating Accident Attorney?
Common Causes of Boating Accidents
What Injuries Can a Boating Accident Cause?
How a Boating Accident Attorney Can Help
Potential Damages Available in Your Case
Cost of a Boating Accident Lawyer
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Why Choose Our Portland Boating Accident Attorney?
The team at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC has a thorough understanding of what it takes to secure compensation on behalf of the boat accident victims in the Portland area.
- Our mandate is “liberty and justice for all,” which is why we push so hard to ensure individuals receive fair compensation when another person causes their injuries.
- Our Portland maritime accident attorneys are client-centered, which means we are selective about the caseload that we handle so that we can focus our efforts on your case.
- We firmly believe in a trial by jury, which is why we are not afraid to take a case all the way to the courtroom to help ensure our clients are treated fairly.
Common Causes of Boating Accidents
It is important to examine the data provided by the US Coast Guard concerning boating accidents across the country each year. In 2021, there were more than 4,400 total reportable boating accidents across the country that led to 2,641 injuries and 658 fatalities. The top five primary types of accidents include the following:
- Collision with a recreational vehicle
- Collision with a fixed object
- Flooding or swamping of the boat
- Grounding
- Falls overboard
When we look at Coast Guard data surrounding the primary contributing factors of accidents, we can see that these include the following by order of number of incidents:
- Operator inattention
- Operator inexperience
- Improper lookout
- Machinery failure
- Excessive speed
- Alcohol or drug use
- Force of a wave or wake
- Navigation rules violation
- Hazardous water conditions
- Hazardous weather conditions
What Injuries Can a Boating Accident Cause?
Boating accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries. These injuries can occur on the actual boat, on a dock or feature around the boat, or when a person falls off of the boat either onto a dock, dry land, or into the water. Some of the most common boat accident injuries individuals sustain include the following:
- Major head or facial injuries
- Concussion or traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord trauma
- Other severe neck or back injury
- Fractured or dislocated bones
- Severe sprains or strains
- Deep contusions
- Fractured ribs or sternum
- Lacerations or puncture wounds
This is certainly not a complete list of the types of injuries that can occur as a result of a boating accident. Additionally, all parties should be aware that victims could suffer from a range of emotional and psychological trauma as a result of the initial incident, the injuries, and the recovery process. This can include feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
How Can a Portland Boating Accident Attorney Help?
We strongly encourage working with a skilled Portland boat accident lawyer to help with these cases. Unfortunately, conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of a boat accident and into the individual or entities responsible can be costly and challenging. When you work with an attorney, you will have an individual with the resources needed to handle every aspect of the investigation. They will collect evidence, continue the investigation, speak to witnesses, and more.
Importantly, your boat accident lawyer in Portland will ensure you are evaluated by trusted medical and economic professionals, and they will handle all negotiations with the insurance carriers involved. If necessary, your boat accident lawyer from Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC will fully prepare your case for trial and let a jury make the final decision.
Potential Damages Available in Your Case
Our team strives to recover both economic and non-economic damages on behalf of boat accident victims in the Portland area.
Economic damages, often referred to as special damages, focus on the various types of objective or calculable expenses individuals sustain as a result of the incident. With receipts or bills, your attorney and economic advisors can adequately add up the following:
- Emergency medical expenses relating to the incident
- Any needed follow-up hospital or doctor visits
- Surgical costs
- Physical therapy, medications, and medical devices
- Lost wages if a victim is unable to work
- Assistance with various household out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage expenses
Non-economic damages, sometimes referred to as general damages, focus on more subjective losses individuals incur as a result of a boat accident. There may not be receipts or bills that can be gathered and added up, but we have various methods to calculate a victim’s:
- Physical pain and suffering damages
- Psychological or emotional pain and suffering losses
- Any loss of quality of life a person endures as a result of the incident
- Loss of consortium damages for a spouse or family members
How Much Does a Boat Accident Lawyer in Portland Cost?
At Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC, we proudly handle Portland boat accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that clients never have to worry about paying legal fees until after we successfully recover compensation on their behalf. Our personal injury lawyer in Portland handles the upfront costs and any ongoing costs related to the case. Clients will only pay an agreed-upon percentage of the final settlement or jury verdict, and if we do not win, clients pay nothing.
Speak to a Portland Boating Accident Lawyer Today
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a boating accident caused by the negligence of another party in the Portland area, reach out to the team at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC for assistance immediately. We will not hesitate to step in on your behalf, handle negotiations with insurance carriers, and even take your case to trial if necessary. When you need a Portland boating accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your claim by filling out our contact form or calling (503) 226-6361.