A fun day on the water can easily become a nightmare when someone negligently operates their boat and crashes into you. They placed you and your passengers in danger, possibly hurt you, and likely damaged your boat.
In this situation, they should be held liable for paying for all the damage they caused. This is where a Wheaton boating accident lawyer can help. Therman Law has recovered over $100 million for our clients. Let us help you find your footing again after a likely traumatizing boating accident.
Our experienced Wheaton personal injury lawyers can lead you through the legal process. We’ll discuss your accident, gather evidence, file your claim, and negotiate a fair settlement. Reach out today to kickstart your case.
How a Wheaton Boating Accident Lawyer Can Help You
Your boat accident does not have to leave your life in the chaotic state it was in immediately after it happened. You can seek the help of an experienced boat accident lawyer to lead you through court and fight for your damages recovery. You can trust us because of what we bring to the table..
- Years of experience at work. Therman Law has been in the legal field for over 75 combined years and knows how cases like yours can find success.
- Representation that feels personal. We do not treat you like a number in a system. Your case is unique, and you deserve individual attention.
- Proven track record of success. We have a 99% success rate with cases we handle. We do not just fight, we win.
- Dealing with insurance companies. They may try to call you to settle early for less than what we could get for you, so let us handle these talks on your behalf.
Recovering from a boating accident is hard enough as it is, but adding the stress of trying to sue for your damages can make it more than you can handle.
Let us do what we have practiced for years already and take on the work of litigating on your behalf. While you recover, we work hard to ensure you have a good shot at a fair settlement.
Damages You Can Seek Compensation for After a Boating Accident
Boat accidents can cause a wide array of injuries and extensive damage to all the boats involved. The at-fault party should be made to pay for all the harm they caused, which can take many forms.
Talk with your boating accident lawyer in Wheaton about everything you can claim in your boating accident case, which may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Loss of quality of life
- Medical bills
- Property damage
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Punitive damages in extreme cases
All of these apply to you, or maybe a few do not. Either way, discuss these with your lawyer to know what your case is worth. Your case could look like any others or present very different, specific damages, but your lawyer can clear things up. Review our client testimonials to see how we have helped people like you.
Determining Liability After a Boating Case
To successfully sue someone, we will have to prove that they were negligent. We may feel like it is clear that they were, but the court will use its own criteria for determining whether it sees negligent behavior, according to the Illinois pattern civil jury instruction. We need to keep this in mind as we compile evidence.
Negligence generally refers to behavior outside of what a reasonably careful person would do under normal circumstances. For example, a cautious person would drive their boat as safely as they can.
But if someone crashed into you because they weren’t following the laws outlined in the Illinois Boating Registration and Safety Act, they were likely behaving negligently.
The driver may not be the only party we would look at for determining liability. It could be the manufacturer’s fault for designing an unsafe boat that malfunctioned and led directly to your crash. Make sure you talk with your boating accident attorney in Wheaton so the direction of your case becomes a little clearer.
How Long Until You Can No Longer File a Claim
Unfortunately, you cannot wait however long you would like to get your case submitted. Remember the date your accident happened so that you know what date to mark your calendar as the deadline. Missing this date could mean you cannot recover damages from the at-fault party.
According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, you have two years to file your boating accident claim from the day of your accident. That does not mean you will make it if you call us at that two-year mark, expecting your case to be filed instantly. It takes time to gather everything necessary to have grounds to file, complete, and submit all the paperwork.
If you are filing on behalf of someone who died in a boating accident, you would only have one year from the date of their death to file (per 735 ILCS 5/13-209) unless the regular statute of limitations puts the deadline later.
You have until whichever date is the latest to file, so do not worry that the time window has shortened if the victim died during or shortly after the accident.
Your Boating Accident Attorney in Wheaton is Ready to Talk to You Today
Therman Law takes every case seriously and with great care so that you can feel confident that you got back what you deserved. A boating accident can be a sudden, frightful event that redirects many aspects of your life. By calling a Wheaton boating accident attorney today, you can set your course for success.
Talking to us will cost you nothing; we are not paid until we win. You could be suffering from bad injuries like broken bones that need your attention more than legal matters do.
Choose Charlie and let us take on the legal work so you can focus on what matters most to you.
