Award-Winning Houston Boating Accident Attorneys

At Morrow & Sheppard LLP, our Houston boating accident attorneys have decades of experience handling these complex claims. We have helped clients nationwide, including Houston, Dallas, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Louisiana, and beyond, who suffered serious injuries as a result of boating accidents recover compensation for their losses. This includes lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. Reach out to us for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights with a dedicated Houston boating accident attorney before they are jeopardized by a corporation, employer, or insurance company. Common boating accident injuries include:

• Pleasure craft accidents;
• Products liability;
• Ship collisions and allisions; and
• Cruise ship accidents.

Pleasure Craft Accidents

A pleasure craft is a recreational or sportsman’s boat or other floating transport vehicle. They are typically motorized but include certain sailing vessels. These watercraft are often used on lakes, ponds, or rivers. Unfortunately, a weekend at the lake sometimes turns into tragedy. In 2018, recreational boating accidents accounted for 633 deaths, 2,511 injuries, and approximately $46 million dollars in property damage. Most, if not all, of these accidents were preventable. Many times, accidents involving pleasure craft occur because of a product defect or the negligence of another person or company. In such cases, the injured persons and their families may be entitled to compensation from the product manufacturer or responsible party and should consider speaking with a reliable Houston maritime lawyer to learn more. According to the United States Coast Guard, common reportable boating accidents include:

• Grounding, capsizing, sinking, or flooding/swamping
• Falls in or overboard from a vessel
• Persons ejected from a vessel
• Fires or explosions that occur while underway and while anchored, moored, or docked if the fire resulted from the vessel or vessel equipment
• Water-skiing accidents or other mishaps involving towable devices
• Collision with another vessel or object
• Striking a submerged object
• A person struck by a vessel, propeller, propulsion unit, or steering machinery
• Carbon monoxide exposure
• Electrocution due to stray current related to a vessel
• Casualties while swimming from a vessel that is not anchored, moored, or docked.
• Casualties where natural causes served as a contributing factor in the death of an individual but the determined cause of death was drowning
• Casualties from natural phenomena such as interaction with marine life (i.e. leaping sturgeon causes casualty to person) and interaction with nature (i.e. mountainside falls onto vessel causing casualties).
• Casualties where a person falls off an anchored vessel
• Casualties that result when a person departs an anchored, disabled vessel to make repairs, such as unfolding an anchor or cleaning out the intake of a jet-propelled vessel.

If your loved one has been tragically killed in a pleasure craft accident, our top-rated Houston boating accident attorney at Morrow & Sheppard LLP can help.

Boating Product Liability

Every year, numerous pleasure craft products are sold that have dangerous designs, manufacturing, or warnings. Recent examples can be found here. These defects involve things like throttle and shift control, ventilation, labeling, fuel systems, exhaust systems, electrical issues, and safety lighting. Because product defect accidents are so catastrophic, injured parties and their families are often entitled to bring strict “product liability” claims that require a lower burden of proof.

Ship Collisions & Allisions

A collision is when two moving vessels strike each other. An allision is similar but refers to a collision where one of the two vessels is stationary. A collision or allision can result in chemical spills, property damage, and personal injuries. These claims are serious and often require a Houston boating accident lawyer who handles maritime cases. If you believe you may have such a claim, please contact us as soon as possible to preserve your legal rights.

Cruise Ship Accidents

Sadly, many family cruise ship vacations have been tragically ruined when cruise ship companies cut corners on safety to maximize profit. The result can be unnecessary illness, cruise ship injuries, or even death. These cases are serious and may involve thorny jurisdiction and liability issues.

Contact A Boating Accident Attorney Today

If you or a loved one has been injured or tragically killed in connection with a boating or maritime incident, the Houston boating accident attorneys at Morrow & Sheppard LLP can help. Our reputable lawyers have years of experience in handling boating accident claims and will work tirelessly to ensure you recover the damages you deserve. Please call us at (800) 489-2216 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation.