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Columbia Boating Accident Attorney

With a personal injury litigation record of success for over four decades, the Auger & Auger team has fought to defend the rights of accident victims — including those injured in boating and jet ski accidents. Our Columbia boating accident attorney knows that the hours spent on a watercraft don’t always end predictably.

The U.S. Coast Guard released a report last year that discusses personal watercraft accidents in South Carolina and throughout the country. Operator inattention was the leading cause of collisions. Maneuvering a jet ski or vessel on the open water is not all fun and games. Boating requires the same focus you have while driving a vehicle on the road, if not more (there are no barriers, painted dividing lines, traffic signals, etc.).

Significant U. S. Coast Guard Statistics

There were 151 boating accidents in South Carolina in 2017, 12 of which were fatal. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, there were 620 accidents nationally caused by operator inattention, leading to 45 deaths and 381 injuries. When you sit behind the controls of a boat, you are taking lives in your hands – your own, your passengers’, and anyone else within your reach on the waterways. Safety is a critical responsibility that must be taken seriously.

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Practicing SCAN May Turn The Tide

There are so many distractions on the water that it can be difficult to pay attention. You talk to passengers, check out the scenery, have a bite to eat, and maybe even text someone back on land. Each of these behaviors puts you at risk for a collision. SCAN is taught in many safety courses and encourages boaters to stay aware. Here’s a quick breakdown.

• Search: Look at the area surrounding your boat — the faster your speed, the wider your search should be.
• Concentrate: Focus on what you are seeing, so you can determine what it is and whether it’s a potential hazard.
• Analyze: Determine if the object is getting closer. Decide if you are on a collision course, and determine whether other boaters have seen you.
• Negotiate: Decide what you are going to do; i.e. don’t just react.

Skippers with experience often perform SCAN out of habit, but new operators may not. Our Columbia boating accident attorney team is aware that SCAN can reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and deaths from South Carolina boating accidents. While there is no state law which specifically addresses distracted boating, there are laws that dictate appropriate behavior.

What Auger & Auger Can Do For You

In our Columbia boating accident attorney experience, we have seen firsthand the devastation caused by collisions on the water. Spinal cord injuries, lacerations, and broken bones can mean time off work, extensive care and financial distress. We have dedicated ourselves to victims and believe that you deserve nothing less than our best — and you can trust that we will fight for justice on your behalf.

Medical bills mount up quickly and we don’t want to add to legal fees to your worries. That’s why we offer our zero-fee guarantee which is based on a contingency basis. In other words, you don’t pay unless we win your case!  

Call (803) 470-5298 today for your free consultation, with no fees due until recovery!