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Date Last Updated: August 5, 2025
Boating accidents caused by negligence are common in Louisiana’s waterways. These incidents can be legally complex, and the resulting injuries may be catastrophic. However, victims hurt in boating accidents may sometimes be distracted by their medical treatment and forget to seek legal representation.
An experienced Louisiana boat accident lawyer can work to obtain compensation for the damages you suffered. While you focus on healing your injuries and getting your life back in order, we can work to achieve justice on your behalf. Contact our legal team in Louisiana for a free consultation or call 337-435-8071.
How Can a Louisiana Boat Accident Attorney at Shamieh Law Help You?
Our philosophy of “Winning with Awareness” means we are dedicated to delivering high-quality service to each of our clients. We work diligently to achieve the results our clients need to move forward with their lives. Our attorneys have extensive experience with a wide range of personal injury matters and the skills necessary to handle even the most complex boating accident cases.
Providing unwavering advocacy and relentless representation, our lawyers strive to obtain full compensation for victims of negligence. We will vigorously negotiate with insurance companies, gather evidence to support your claim, and create a comprehensive strategy for your case. If the insurance company refuses to settle for the compensation you deserve, we will represent your interests in court when necessary.
A Louisiana Attorney With a Proven Track Record
Ramez Shamieh, a Lake Charles native, has a strong record of helping victims of boating accidents, car crashes and premises liability incidents recover the compensation they deserve. Alongside the other attorneys at Shamieh Law, he has built a reputation for results-driven advocacy. Over the years, our legal team has earned recognition from numerous respected organizations and publications, including Super Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Texas Lawyer and the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Boating Accident?
There are several potential parties who may be held liable for your injuries, depending on the facts of your case:
- The vessel operator: A vessel operator can be held liable for a boat collision if their failure to exercise reasonable care caused your injuries.
- The operator of another vessel: If another vessel’s operator disregarded the boating laws and caused you to suffer harm, they may be held accountable for their negligence.
- The vessel owner: In some cases, a vessel owner can be vicariously liable when an employee’s wrongful act caused an accident that resulted in injuries.
- The vessel’s manufacturer: If the accident was caused by a defect in the vessel, the manufacturer may incur liability.
- The boat equipment manufacturer: If the incident occurred due to a flaw in the boating equipment, the manufacturer may be to blame.
In some cases, more than one party may be at fault for a victim’s injuries. A skillful Louisiana boating accident lawyer can evaluate your case and determine whom to name in a personal injury action to recover your damages.
What Damages Are Available After a Boat Accident?
As the victim of a boating accident, you may be entitled to recover a wide range of compensation, including both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate you for the financial losses you incurred due to your injuries. Non-economic damages are meant to cover the losses associated with how your injuries impacted your life, which are much more difficult to quantify.
Specifically, the damages you may recover in a personal injury case for a boating accident may include:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation costs
- Long-term care due to injury or disability
- Lost income
- Future loss of earnings
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Vessel damage and other personal property loss
In limited cases where it can be shown that the defendant’s actions were “wanton and reckless,” punitive damages may be available under general maritime law. These damages are not meant to compensate a victim. Rather, they’re intended to punish the defendant for their wrongdoing and deter others from engaging in similar conduct.
Louisiana Boating Laws That May Impact Your Case
Louisiana has a range of boating laws that regulate how vessels must be operated. These rules are designed to protect boat operators, passengers and crew members from harm caused by someone else’s carelessness or recklessness.
Boaters are legally required to operate their vessels in a safe and responsible manner. If someone is injured because a boater failed to meet this duty, the boater may be held liable for the resulting damages.
Some of the regulations boaters must follow to remain compliant with the law include the following:
- Boat operators must maintain a proper lookout.
- Vessels may not be operated under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Vessels yielding the right of way must take measures to prevent a collision.
- Vessels passing one another must be operated at a speed that will not create a hazardous wake.
- Vessels must not be overloaded.
- A vessel may not abruptly change course if it cannot be done safely.
Notably, a boat operator has a duty of care to passengers on their vessel and others on the water. If they breach this duty and cause another to suffer damages as a result, they may be held liable for negligence. If it’s possible to show carelessness or recklessness, it does not matter whether there was a statute in place.
How Long Do You Have to File a Boat Accident Lawsuit in Louisiana?
Generally, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Louisiana, including boating accidents, is two years. The clock begins running on the date the accident occurred. If you miss this deadline, you may lose the right to pursue compensation.
Although you might think you have plenty of time to file, it’s important not to delay consulting with a qualified Louisiana boat accident lawyer. Not only can they help you avoid missing the deadline in your case, but they can also take measures to preserve evidence that will support your claim before it is lost or destroyed.
What Are Common Causes of Boating Accidents in Louisiana?
Every boating accident case is unique and has a different set of facts and circumstances. Boats may collide with other vessels or fixed objects if proper safety precautions are not followed. Boating accidents are also commonly caused by operator inexperience, improper navigation, and lack of right-of-way knowledge.
Other factors that can come into play in boating accidents in Louisiana include:
- Excessive speed
- Operator inattention or distraction
- Poor weather conditions, storms, and hurricanes
- Equipment malfunctions
- Boat overloading
- Disregarding navigational charts and warning flags
- Boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs
An experienced boating injury lawyer in Louisiana will know how to investigate the facts of your case and gather the evidence needed to support your claim.
Contact a Louisiana Boating Accident Lawyer at Shamieh Law
Boating accidents can lead to severe injuries. Although compensation cannot reverse the situation, it can help you get your life back. While you focus on healing, our Louisiana boating accident lawyer team can strive to obtain compensation on your behalf. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a boating accident, contact us online or call 337-435-8071 for a free consultation.
