New Jersey requires those operating most powered watercraft, including Jet Skis, to have a New Jersey Boat Safety Certificate and license. Drivers must be 16 years old. They must also register and title their boats. All boats in New Jersey must contain one wearable floatation device per passenger, even canoes and rowboats. Many vessels must also contain…
As many as 122 people were in reported boat accidents a recent year, killing as many as eight.
Boaters must comply with several reporting requirements. Federal Code, 33 CFR §173; Subpart C—Casualty and Accident Reporting, requires boaters to report certain accidents to the Coast Guard. New Jersey requires a report when an accident causes: A fatality or disappearance An injury that needs more than first aid medical treatment A total of $2,000 damage to…
The majority of boating accident victims deal with abrasions, contusions, and other minor injuries. The most recent annual statistics documented these more significant non-fatal injuries. Fractures Head injuries Internal injuries Back injuries Spinal injuries Amputations
In a recent year, vessel accidents passengers sustained injuries more frequently: Passengers, 56 percent Vessel operators, 43 percent Swimmers, 1 percent
Didn’t wear a personal flotation device: 56 percent of injured victims; 88 percent of fatally injured victims Didn’t know how to swim: 31 percent of injured victims, 43 percent of fatally injured victims Injured victim alcohol/drug use: 5 percent Fatally injured victim alcohol/drug use: 32 percent Ejected from the boat: 202 injured victims, 33 Fatally…
The recent boating fatality data shows that more than 4,400 accidents killed as many as 626 people in one year.
Many factors cause or contribute to boat accidents. Just as with motor vehicle accidents, operators crash because of distraction, inattention, lack of experience, speed, and alcohol and drug consumption. These are the types of accidents that occurred most frequently. Two vessels colliding Propellor-inflicted injury Electrical shock due to improper grounding Drowning/falling overboard Water skiing mishaps…
To recover damages for your injuries, you must prove that the other operator was negligent in causing your accident. Boating negligence often involves these and other actions: Distracted or inattentive operation Alcohol or drug use Excessive speed Failure to operate a boat based on weather and water conditions Hitting you while you are swimming or…
Your statute of limitations depends on whether state or federal Admiralty (Maritime) law applies. If your boat accident occurred in navigable waters as defined by U.S. Code, Title 33, Chapter §329.4 (such as the Atlantic Ocean), Admiralty laws apply. If it occurred in waters controlled locally, such as on inland waters, state law applies. For most state…