The Boating Accident Report
If you own a boat and have been involved in an accident, there are likely many complex legal issues to contend with. These issues are complicated further if people or property have been damaged. According to federal regulations, you will need to file a BAR, or boating accident report, within a certain amount of time after the accident. These time constraints are important for you to know so that you can help avoid potentially serious legal consequences.
Consulting with an experienced boat accident attorney can help make this process much easier to navigate. Call the Chicago boat accident lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., at 312-466-8200 today for a free consultation.
Filing a Boating Accident Report
Under federal law, you must file a boating accident report if:
- A person was injured and needed professional medical help
- A person had a fatal injury
- A person vanished from the boat
- The boat damages were greater than $2,000
When filing a BAR, it is important to consider the filing deadlines at both the national and state level.
When Do I File a BAR?
Federal law requires that you report an accident within 10 days of the incident if the damage was only to physical property or to the boat itself. There is a tighter 2 day deadline under more extreme circumstances such as:
- The death of a person on the same day as the accident
- Moderate to severe injuries to a person
- A missing person
As a boat owner, you may feel anxiety about reporting an incident, but legal help is just a phone call away.
Contact Us
To help lessen the burden and worry of filing a boating accident report, call the Chicago boat accident lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., at 312-466-8200 to discuss your case, free of charge.