Boating offers plenty of opportunities for Wisconsin residents to get outside, enjoy the great outdoors, and try some fishing, water sports, and more.
Unfortunately, when boaters engage in reckless behavior on one of Wisconsin’s many lakes, including Lake DuBay and Lake Onalaska, they can cause serious injuries.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we provide our clients the support they may need to manage the complex challenges associated with a boat accident claim. Contact our Wisconsin boating accident attorneys today for your free consultation.
- Nicolet Law & Injury Lawyers Can Help Streamline Your Boat Accident Claim
- Successful Results for Our Clients
- Compensation After a Wisconsin Boating Accident: How Much Do You Deserve?
- Wisconsin Boat Accidents: What You Need to Know
- Wisconsin Boat Accident FAQ
- Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers If You Suffered Injuries in a Wisconsin Boat Accident
- Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers
- Wisconsin Locations
Nicolet Law & Injury Lawyers Can Help Streamline Your Boat Accident Claim
A boat accident can create immense challenges in many areas of your life. Unfortunately, dealing with the liable party’s insurance company can, for many boat accident victims, grow into one of the most stressful challenges you may face. After a boat accident, Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers can help with the pursuit of justice and compensation for those damaging injuries.
We Fight Aggressively to Help Our Clients Get Reasonable Compensation.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we do not back down when things get tough. Instead, we dig in and provide our clients with the extensive support they may need to recover reasonable compensation for their boat accident injuries. We do not fear fighting insurance companies; we feel confident taking on the big names in insurance when necessary to ensure that our clients get the compensation they deserve for those damages.
We Understand the Issues Locals Face.
Our lawyers come from the midwest. We live in Wisconsin and Minnesota. We know the area and the community. As a result, we often have a deeper-level understanding of the specific issues you face than you would get from a larger firm. We bring that compassion and understanding to each of our claims as we help our clients navigate the difficult road to compensation.
We Make It as Easy as Possible to Get in Touch With Our Lawyers.
We have multiple locations throughout Wisconsin, including offices in Eau Claire, Hudson, La Crosse, Wausau, Superior, Rice Lake, New Richmond, River Falls, Green Bay, and Milwaukee.
If you suffer injuries in a Wisconsin boat accident, you can easily make it into a Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers office, where you can consult with our experienced team of attorneys. We start with a free consultation to help you understand your rights after a boat accident, and we do not get paid unless you win.
Ready to get started? Call Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers today to discuss your rights after a Wisconsin boat accident.
Successful Results for Our Clients
Compensation After a Wisconsin Boating Accident: How Much Do You Deserve?
Many clients want to know, “How much is my Wisconsin boating accident claim worth?” Each claim looks a little different. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we cannot guarantee the compensation you will recover for your Wisconsin boating accident claim. However, we can help people who suffered injuries due to a Wisconsin boating accident take a closer look at the damages they sustained and how they can include them as part of a comprehensive claim for compensation.
Compensation for Medical Treatment for Boat Accident Injuries
Your medical costs will often serve as an important foundational element in your injury claim. If you have serious injuries, your medical expenses will often increase substantially. You will likely have the right to claim more compensation for severe injuries than minor ones. Talk to a lawyer about all the medical costs you have faced because of your boat accident, including costs for everything from emergency medical care to the cost of in-home care when you first return home after your accident.
Compensation for Lost Income Due to Boat Accident Injuries
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may find that they keep you out of work for an extended period of time after the accident. Time missed at work may also depend on your company’s individual policies and your usual job duties since some injuries will interfere more with specific types of work than others.
Talk to our lawyers about the time you had to miss work because of your boat accident. This may include whether you have had to cut additional time at work because you could not return to full-time work immediately or because you had follow-up appointments.
Compensation for Pain and Suffering Related to Your Boat Accident Injuries
Serious injuries can cause substantial suffering in many different ways. Not only can serious injuries cause immense physical pain, but they may also leave you struggling with the emotional implications of those losses. Your lawyer can help you learn more about how to best pursue compensation for the suffering that went along with your Wisconsin boat accident.
Wisconsin Boat Accidents: What You Need to Know
Under Wisconsin law, you must file a claim for compensation within three years of an incident. If you do not file a claim within that period, the court will refuse to hear your claim, and you may lose the ability to get reasonable compensation for those losses.
Call our lawyers long before the statute of limitations expires. Waiting will make it much more challenging to establish how your accident occurred, what compensation you deserve, and what factors contributed to the boat accident.
Annually, Wisconsin reports around 106 boating accidents. Seventy-nine people suffer injuries, and 25 people die of those injuries each year. Eighty percent of fatal boat accidents in Wisconsin involve drowning. Failure to wear a life jacket may increase the risk of drowning in a boating accident.
Wisconsin law requires anyone involved in a reportable boat incident to report that accident as soon as possible.
Common Causes of Wisconsin Boat Accidents
Wisconsin boat accidents can occur for several reasons.
- Dangerous or negligent behavior on the part of a boat operator. Sometimes, a boat operator will try to go excessively fast or maneuver through a hazardous area without allowing adequate room to maneuver the boat safely.
- Items in the water. Near docks and other privately-owned areas, the owner of that area may bear responsibility for keeping that area free of debris.
- Drinking while boating. Alcohol and operating any type of motor vehicle, including a boat, can substantially increase the risk of an accident.
- Bad weather. Boat operators may sometimes fail to properly monitor weather conditions before heading out for a trip. If they get stuck out on the water, it can increase the risk of a disastrous accident.
- Equipment failure. In some cases, the boat’s internal equipment may fail so spectacularly that an accident results. The manufacturer of the boat may bear liability for a design that increases the risk of an accident or damaging incident, while the boat’s owner may bear liability for failing to maintain the craft properly.
- Operator inexperience. Young boaters or people who do not frequently have the chance to gain experience out on the water may have a greater overall risk of causing a devastating accident.
Working with a personal injury lawyer can help you determine what likely led to your boat accident, including any additional factors that may have contributed to it.
Dealing With the Insurance Company After a Wisconsin Boat Accident
Frequently, the insurance company that covers the liable party will make it more difficult than you may have anticipated getting the compensation you may deserve following a Wisconsin boat accident.
The insurance company may use several common strategies to reduce the compensation it has to pay out, leaving you stuck with the damages.
- The insurance company may pressure you to accept liability for the incident. In many cases, if you accept liability, it will reduce the compensation you can recover or prevent you from recovering any compensation at all.
- The insurance company may ignore the extent of your injuries and the medical treatment you needed to recover from those injuries. Sometimes, the insurance company may try to claim that you limited your own recovery or that you failed to take the steps necessary to make a full recovery.
- The insurance company may try to show that the injuries you sustained did not result directly from the boat accident.
- The insurance company may pressure you to accept a low settlement offer that fails to fully cover the damages you sustained because of the boat accident.
Fighting the insurance company on your own can leave you frustrated and without the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we have the resources to help you fight the insurance company. We can help reduce that frustration and increase the odds that you will recover fair compensation for your injuries.
Wisconsin Boat Accident FAQ
Does Wisconsin Require Boaters To Carry Insurance?
Wisconsin does not require boaters or boat owners to carry insurance. However, many boaters do choose to carry insurance that can help protect them in the event of an accident. Boating insurance can help provide protection against damages caused by injuries or physical damage to someone else’s boat.
If the boater that caused your accident does not carry boating insurance, you may need to directly pursue compensation from that individual or work with a lawyer to determine other entities that may share liability for the accident.
Who Has to Pay My Medical Bills After a Wisconsin Boating Accident?
As the injured party, in most cases, when you suffer injuries, you will need to cover the cost of medical treatment. You may use your medical insurance to cover some of those treatment costs, making your medical needs more affordable.
If you can file an injury claim after a Wisconsin boat accident, you can claim compensation for the damages you sustained. Then, you can use that compensation to cover the cost of medical treatment. However, an injury claim will not require the liable party to pay for your medical treatment directly.
How Long Does It Take To File a Boat Accident Claim in Wisconsin?
You should expect it to take several months to reach a resolution in your Wisconsin boat accident claim. Several factors can contribute to the time it takes to file a claim.
You may need to consider:
- Any investigation required. If you need a lengthy investigation to fully determine who bears liability for your Wisconsin boat accident, it may mean that the claim process takes longer.
- Negotiation. Often, the negotiation process drags on after a serious boat accident. Negotiation can help you maximize the compensation you can recover; however, it does mean that you may need more time before you have compensation for those injuries.
- Recovery. In many cases, you will need time to recover from your injuries before you start moving forward with an injury claim. Sometimes, your lawyer may advise that you wait until you know what your recovery will really look like before you file your claim.
- Court. While most Wisconsin boat accident claims do settle out of court, in some cases, you may have to go to court to get the compensation you deserve. Going to court may extend the time needed to resolve your claim.
If you have questions about your Wisconsin boating accident claim, including how long it may take to resolve your specific claim, a lawyer can help you learn more about your rights and those potential issues.
Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers If You Suffered Injuries in a Wisconsin Boat Accident
In the aftermath of a boat accident in Wisconsin, you need a lawyer who can help walk you through the claim process and provide you with essential insights into how you can best manage your next steps.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we can help guide you through the claim process and fight for your right to compensation. Contact us today at (715) 377-2141 to get started on your boat accident claim.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers
Address: 517 2nd St Unit #205,Hudson, WI 54016
Phone: 1-855-642-6538