San Diego
Boating Accident
Attorney
A boating accident can turn a day on the water into a life-changing emergency—serious injuries, costly medical care, and difficult questions about who was responsible. Whether you were hurt on a boat, jet ski, charter, or tour vessel in Mission Bay, San Diego Bay, or coastal waters, Hulburt Law Firm represents injured people and families in serious boating injury and wrongful death cases throughout San Diego County and California.
Types of boating accident cases we handle include:
- Boat-to-boat collisions and wake-related crashes
- Jet ski and personal watercraft (PWC) accidents
- Passenger injuries, falls overboard, and ejections
- Propeller and “strike” injuries
- Capsizing and sinking incidents
- Rental, charter, and tour boat accidents
- Drowning and near-drowning cases
Our Approach
Throughout your boating accident case, we keep you informed, answer your questions, and explain each step in clear, practical terms. Because we limit the number of serious injury and wrongful death matters we accept, we’re able to move quickly to preserve critical evidence—photos and video of the vessel and scene, witness information, and any reports from Harbor Police, the Coast Guard, or marina personnel—before it disappears.
Boating cases often involve multiple responsible parties and layers of insurance coverage. We investigate whether the operator, vessel owner, rental company, charter or tour operator, or another party failed to follow basic safety practices, navigation rules, or maintenance requirements. When needed, we work with marine safety experts and accident reconstruction specialists to explain how the collision, capsizing, or propeller injury occurred and how it could have been prevented.
With Hulburt Law Firm handling the investigation, insurance companies, and legal process, you can focus on recovery while we pursue full and fair compensation under California law.
Navigate the Law
Understand and manage the complexities of your case with an expert legal team on your side.
Gather Crucial Evidence
Our legal team collects crucial evidence to present a compelling case.
Negotiate Settlements
We handle negotiations with insurance companies and opposing parties in order to achieve the highest settlements possible.
Representation in Court
Our experienced attorneys provide skilled representation if your case goes to trial.
Case Results
Our attorneys have a proven track record of achieving extraordinary results.
A sudden tire failure caused an SUV to fishtail and crash into a tree on the side of a San Diego County highway, killing a beloved husband and father.
A San Diego I-5 freeway collision resulted in brain and spine injuries.
A passenger seatback collapsed in a rear-end collision, causing the occupant life-changing spinal injuries and paralysis.
Campus security was speeding and collided with a student’s vehicle, killing her.
The driver's head restraint broke off when he was rear-ended at high speed on the 15 freeway, causing the driver to suffer a spinal cord injury and paralysis.
Adults served minors alcohol at a party. A minor then drove drunk and crashed, killing a passenger.
The Harm
Three young women rented a powerboat from a San Diego boat rental company for an afternoon on Mission Bay. While towing one of the women on an inner tube, the tow line pulled the engine to an angle, causing the boat to tighten into a sudden circle. In seconds, the boat ran over the tubed rider, and the propeller caused life-threatening injuries.
The Truth
The rental company tried to shift responsibility onto the renters, claiming they misused the boat and pointing to liability waivers the women had signed. Investigation showed the real problem: the company knew about the risk of tow lines forcing boats into dangerous turns, yet failed to provide adequate warnings, instruction, and hands-on training to renters before letting them operate a powerful vessel on busy waters.
Waivers are common in recreational boating, but they do not automatically eliminate accountability—especially when the conduct rises beyond ordinary negligence. We focused the case on the rental company’s safety failures and its responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable propeller and towing injuries.
Justice
The case resolved in a confidential settlement that compensated the young woman for her injuries and required the rental company to improve its renter training practices going forward.
If you or a loved one was injured in a San Diego boating or jet ski rental accident—including propeller injuries, towing accidents, or crashes on Mission Bay or San Diego Bay—you don’t have to navigate it alone. Request a free boating accident case review to discuss what happened and your options under California law.
How It Works
Boating Accident Case Review
During your free case review, In your free case review, we listen to what happened on the water, what injuries you’re dealing with, and what questions you have. We review any information you already have—photos or video, incident reports, rental or charter paperwork, medical records, and insurance letters—and give an honest assessment of whether a boating accident claim may be available under California law. This conversation is confidential and there’s no obligation to move forward.
Early Investigation
If you decide to work with us and the scope of representation is signed, we move quickly to preserve key evidence. That can include documenting the vessel or personal watercraft (PWC), identifying witnesses and other boats nearby, securing marina records, and obtaining any reports from Harbor Police, the Coast Guard, or other responding agencies. If the incident involved a rental or charter, we work to preserve rental agreements, waivers, operating instructions, and maintenance and inspection records. Acting early matters because vessels are often repaired, returned, or relocated quickly, and video can be overwritten.
Expert Collaboration
Next, we work with the right experts to determine how and why the accident occurred. Depending on the case, that may include marine safety experts, navigation and seamanship specialists, accident reconstructionists, and medical experts. They help us analyze issues like speed and lookout, right-of-way rules, wake conditions, alcohol or drug impairment, operator training, and whether equipment failures or maintenance problems contributed to the incident.
Legal Strategy
Boating accidents often involve more than one responsible party and more than one insurance policy. We identify all potentially liable parties—such as the operator, vessel owner, rental company, charter or tour operator, marina, or equipment manufacturer—and evaluate the insurance coverages that may apply, including commercial policies. We also assess damages, including medical care, lost income, future treatment needs, and the impact the injury has on your day-to-day life.
Settlement Negotiation
We handle communications with insurance companies and defense lawyers so you don’t have to. In boating cases, insurers often try to shift blame to passengers, argue assumption of risk, or rely on waivers to minimize responsibility. We present a clear package of liability evidence and damages—including expert support when needed—to pursue a full and fair resolution. Throughout negotiations, we keep you informed, explain any offers in plain language, and help you weigh settlement versus litigation.
Trial Representation
If a fair resolution cannot be reached, we are prepared to file a lawsuit and take your case to court. Litigation can involve discovery, depositions of operators, rental or charter company representatives, and experts, and technical evidence about navigation rules, safety standards, and vessel operation. At trial, we present the facts clearly—what happened, who is responsible, and what the injury will require going forward—so decision-makers understand the full impact on you and your family.
California Boating Accident Law: Liability, Insurance & Deadlines
Boating accidents in California are often governed by the same basic principles as other injury cases—fault, causation, and damages—but the facts can be more complex because incidents happen on open water, involve specialized safety rules, and may include multiple responsible parties (operators, owners, rental companies, charter businesses, marinas, and manufacturers).
Who Can Be Held Liable in a California Boating Accident?
How Fault Is Determined on the Water
Boating Accidents Involving Rentals, Charters, and Waivers
Insurance Coverage in Boating Accident Cases
Compensation Available After a Boating Accident
Deadlines to File a Boating Accident Claim in California
The Hulburt Law Difference
In-Depth Investigations
Forget surface-level research and mediocre inquiries. We dive deep to conduct extensive investigations and gather evidence in order to build your strongest case.
Tech-Forward Approach
We use technology to your advantage. By using video and photography, scene recreations, and graphics, we tell your story in a visually-compelling way that other law firms cannot match.
Maximum Compensation
Defense attorneys and insurance companies know us and respect us. We assess the full extent of your damages and pursue all responsible parties in order to maximize the compensation you deserve.
The Right Experience
Catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases are rarely simple. We have taken on the largest corporations, insurance companies, and defense firms in the country and won.
Genuine Care
We understand how important it is to have a compassionate and considerate lawyer. From providing regular case updates to ensuring clients are adequately prepared for each step of the case, we continually demonstrate our care for all of our clients.
Boating Accident
FAQs
What should I do after a boating accident in San Diego?
Who can be held responsible for a boating accident in California?
What if I was injured as a passenger on a boat?
What if the boat operator was drunk or impaired?
Do liability waivers from boat rentals or tours prevent a claim?
What evidence is most important in a boating accident case?
What are common causes of boating accidents in San Diego?
What injuries are common in boating accidents?
What compensation can I receive for a boating accident injury?
How long do I have to file a boating accident claim in California?
How long does a boating accident case usually take?
Do I need a San Diego boating accident lawyer, and how much does it cost?
Does “assumption of risk” affect boating accident claims in California?
Request a Free Case Review
Simply fill out the form or call 619.821.0500 to receive a free case review. We’ll evaluate what happened, your injuries, and potential defendants to determine how we can best help you.
The Hulburt Law Firm specializes in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases in San Diego, California.
