The cause of most boating accidents can be boiled down to four simple words: operator inattention. When you look at the data, this is clearly the leading factor in boat collisions and other serious accidents.

 

Of all of the ways that a watercraft collision can happen, only one (wind/wave action) has nothing to do with either the boat operator or the other vessel.

Even when the weather is calm, there are several things that can cause accidents. If you're using a map to navigate, but it's not secured in place, you're asking for an accident. Maybe you don't notice it because your attention was focused elsewhere (e.g., on something like talking to a passenger).

 

On the water, it's all too easy to be distracted by a frantic skier who is signaling you. Or perhaps another vessel crowding your space is going unnoticed because your passengers are horsing around in the back of the boat.

 

In a perfect world, every boater would be running his or her boat at full attention at all times. In reality, things are a little more complicated. No one can actually retain full attention on everything that's going on around them for extended periods of time.

 

At David W. Martin Law Group, we've seen a lot of accidents over the years, and we know exactly what causes most of them: operator inattention. We recommend the "Triple-3 Rule" for boating: Always keep your attention on boat operation, passengers, and surrounding vessels.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident, contact the Fort Mill boat accident lawyers of David W. Martin Law Group, today!

More information can be found here: Boat accident attorneys in South Carolina