Boating crashes and accidents occur far more frequently than they should.  In this article, Bodewell Injury Lawyers highlight the most frequent causes of boat-related injuries and what to do if you or a loved one is injured in a boating crash.

The Most Common Causes of Boating Accidents

Collisions between boats are consistently the most common type of boating accident.  In 2023 alone, there were over 50 boating accidents in Alabama, resulting in 12 deaths and 32 injuries.  The most common causes of boating collisions are: (1) boating rule violations (e.g., operating on the wrong side of the water, following too closely to other vessels, failure to use navigational lights between sunset and sunrise, etc.) see ALEA Boating Rules and Regulations, and (2) alcohol-related incidents, see Boatsmart-Boating and Alcohol Laws in Alabama

Bodewell Injury Lawyers Specialize in Boat Crashes

Bodewell Injury Lawyers specialize in boating crashes and boat-related injury incidents.   Bodewell Injury Lawyers have achieved significant recovery for their clients injured in boat crashes and continue to handle these cases.  For example, Bodewell Injury Lawyers Nate VanDerVeer and Tyler Pritchard currently represent a husband and wife who were badly injured when a guide-fishing boat crashed into their boat while they were vacationing in Alabama,  a teenager who suffered severe injuries in a jet-ski incident, and a boater who was hit by another boater who was under the influence of alcohol and operating on the wrong side of the channel.

Bodewell Injury Lawyers are currently investigating a recent boat crash incident involving multiple boats on Lewis Smith Lake.  Smith Lake Boat Crash April 16, 2025  According to local authorities and news outlets, the crash involved a participant in a bass fishing tournament and resulted in the death of a boater and injuries to several others.

What to Do if You’re Involved in a Boating Accident

 Here are the steps you should take if you or a loved one has been injured in a boating accident:

• Call 911 and seek immediate medical assistance if injuries were sustained
• Collect the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all individuals involved
• Collect the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all witnesses to the crash
• Take photographs and video of the scene of the crash
• Report the crash to all insurance companies that or which may insure the boats involved in the crash
• Request a copy of the boating crash report How to Request Boating Crash Report

Contact Alabama and Georgia’s premier boating accident and injury attorneys, Bodewell Injury Group, for a FREE consultation.