Boating in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC) waters is serious fun. Boating collisions often occur because boat operators are not paying sufficient attention in keeping a good look out for other boats. Like automobile accidents, boating wrecks typically occur because of operator error.
There are lots of things that can distract your attention. There are the natural factors, such as the sun, dehydration, and motion. Fatigue can set in as a result of these stressors. However, when you add alcohol to the mix, you really risk having a boating accident. One-third of the collisions that occur on the water involve alcohol. Given we all take drunk driving on the roads seriously, we also should consider the dangers of drunk boating as quite real. Since have a non drinking driver when you go out to the bar with your friends, you should do the same on your vessel.
Please do what you can to keep Hampton Roads’ waters safe and fun when you go boating. Remember that in one year 100 people will die in boating accidents and another 4,000 will be injured. Most deaths and injuries did not have to happen and were the result of someone’s not being careful enough. Please do what you can to not add to these numbers
For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Wrongful Death.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
Comments for this article are closed.