Alabama Boat Accident Lawyer for Serious Injuries on Lakes & Rivers

Trial-ready representation when a boating crash, prop injury, or BUI changes everything

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Boating should be fun—until someone cuts across your bow, a jet ski strikes a swimmer, a passenger is thrown at speed, or alcohol and recklessness turn a day on the water into an emergency. If you were hurt or lost a loved one, an Alabama boat accident lawyer can help preserve evidence, identify who’s responsible, and pursue the full value of your injuries. Bodewell Injury Group focuses on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases in Alabama and Georgia, and we prepare every claim as if it will be tried.

How an Alabama Boat Accident Lawyer Builds a Winning Claim

Insurers often push boating cases into “he said / she said” arguments—especially when there’s no required liability coverage, the operator claims you “assumed the risk,” or the story changes after the fact. Our approach is evidence-first: we lock down objective proof, document damages, and build a case that makes sense to adjusters and juries.

Common Causes — And the Proof That Wins

Alabama Boating Safety Basics That Prevent Tragedies

• Wear life jackets—especially for children and weak swimmers; keep properly sized jackets readily accessible.
• Operate defensively: maintain a lookout, control speed, and give others room—crowded waterways change quickly.
• Use navigation lights as required and slow down in restricted visibility (fog, rain, dusk).
• Keep right on head-on approaches; overtaking vessels should give the right of way to the vessel being overtaken.
• Don’t endanger others (weaving, following too close, jumping wakes, or steering to “spray” another vessel).
• Alcohol + water is different: heat, fatigue, and sun increase impairment—boating under the influence is illegal.

For the official Alabama boating rules and regulations, review the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency guidance: Boating rules & regulations.

BUI in Alabama and Serious Injury Liability

Alabama prohibits operating a boat or personal watercraft while impaired by alcohol or drugs. In injury cases, impairment can be a major liability driver—especially when speed, lookout, and judgment are involved. If a BUI crash causes severe injury or death, multiple legal claims may apply depending on the facts, the operator’s conduct, and who owned or entrusted the vessel.

Separate from criminal penalties, a civil case focuses on accountability and compensation: medical costs, lost income, future care, pain and suffering, and—when a loved one is lost—wrongful death damages.

Boat Insurance Gaps and Why Evidence Matters Early

Unlike car crashes, boating claims often involve confusing coverage: some operators carry little or no liability insurance, and policies may have exclusions. That makes early investigation critical—identifying all responsible parties (operator, owner, rental company, manufacturer) and all possible coverages (boat policy, homeowner’s, umbrella, business policies).

Deadlines and Fault Rules in Alabama and Georgia

Many claims must be filed within two years; some notices are shorter—call to confirm your exact deadline.

What to Do After a Boating Accident

• Get medical care immediately and follow up—head, spine, and drowning-related injuries can worsen later.
• Report the incident and request the responding agency’s report number.
• Preserve evidence: photos of vessels, props, injuries, life jackets, and the scene; keep damaged gear.
• Collect names: operator/owner, witnesses, passengers, rental company staff, and marina contacts.
• Don’t give recorded statements to insurers before getting legal advice.
• Call quickly—witnesses disappear and vessels get repaired, sold, or moved.

Why Choose Bodewell for Serious Boat Injury Cases