If a person is paddling their kayak on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and is rammed by a drunk boater, then they have the right to sue them for damages. It doesn’t matter whether the boater intended to hit them. If they were drinking or not paying attention to where they were going, then they were negligent. If they rented the boat, then the boat rental company might also be liable as well. As soon as the injured paddler receives medical treatment, they should contact a personal injury attorney in Baltimore. The attorney will make sure that all relevant evidence is kept safe. He will also interview witnesses, while their memories of the incident are fresh.
Once doctors have documented the nature and severity of the injury, their attorney from the law offices of Daniel J. Earnshaw will contact the boater’s insurance company. The attorney will describe the injury and show how it was caused by the boating accident. He will then outline the current and projected cost of medical treatment. If the person can’t work, then the amount of lost income will be included in the claim. A person can also claim damages for pain and suffering and emotional trauma. A paddler could be severely injured by a large power boat. If doctors believe that the patient will suffer with the injury for the rest of their life, then the damages will have to pay for treatment over their projected lifespan.
It is common for an insurance company to dispute a claim for damages from the very beginning. They may claim it was the paddler who was negligent and not the boater. The Personal Injury Attorney in Baltimore will work with transportation engineers and marine specialists to show that the boater was truly negligent. Even if the insurance company agrees that their client was at fault, they may then dispute the nature of the injury and its severity. They may argue that some of it existed prior to the accident. They may also fight the amount of income compensation. If the paddler’s attorney can’t get the insurance company to agree to a responsible settlement, then they have the option of having a jury decide.
