Watercraft Accidents

Boat and Jet Ski Accidents in Virginia

When someone’s reckless operation of a boat or jet ski leaves you with serious injuries, you need an attorney who understands maritime regulations, knows how watercraft insurance works, and has real courtroom experience. We’ve handled complex boating accident cases and recovered meaningful compensation for people hurt on Virginia’s waterways.

Boating and jet ski accidents on Virginia’s lakes, rivers, and bays often result from operator intoxication, excessive speed, or rental company negligence. These incidents cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, severe propeller lacerations, and sometimes death. If you’ve been hurt, you’re facing immediate medical needs, insurance complications, and questions about who’s responsible and what comes next.

Immediately After a boating accident

What To Do After a Boating Accident

• Contact an attorney early. Evidence disappears fast after boating accidents. Watercraft get repaired, witnesses leave, rental companies purge records.
• Get medical attention immediately. Even if you feel fine, injuries from water impacts can worsen over hours. Document everything.
• Report the accident. Virginia law requires reporting accidents involving injury, death, disappearance, or property damage over $2,000 to the Department of Wildlife Resources.
• Preserve evidence. Take photos of all watercraft involved, visible injuries, and the accident scene. Get contact information from witnesses.
• Don’t give recorded statements to insurance companies. They’ll use your words against you. Talk to an attorney first.
• Document your injuries and expenses. Keep records of medical treatment, prescriptions, time off work, and how the injury affects your daily life.

below the surface

Why These Cases Are Complex

Watercraft accidents involve layers of regulation and insurance issues that most attorneys never encounter. Virginia’s boating laws, federal maritime principles, and Department of Wildlife Resources procedures all affect how these cases work. Determining whether state or federal law applies can change the outcome entirely.

Insurance coverage is often inadequate or nonexistent. Many boat owners carry minimal liability coverage through homeowner’s policies. Some carry none at all. Rental companies have commercial policies with exclusions and limits that require careful review. Personal watercraft like jet skis often aren’t covered under standard policies. Finding all available coverage—and knowing how to pursue compensation when insurance falls short—requires specific experience.

Liability questions multiply quickly. Was the operator intoxicated? Did the rental company provide proper instruction? Was the equipment defective? Did a marina create hazardous conditions? Multiple parties often share responsibility, and Virginia’s contributory negligence rule means any argument that shifts even 1% of blame to you can defeat your entire claim. Defense attorneys use this rule aggressively in boating cases, arguing you ignored navigation rules or operated your own watercraft unsafely.

Trial Experience Makes the Difference

Why Hire Lantz & Robins for Boating & Watercraft Accidents

We’ve built our practice around cases that require serious investigation and trial preparation. Michael Lantz and W. Randolph Robins Jr. have both spent months in front of juries handling complex injury cases. That experience matters when you’re dealing with rental companies, manufacturers, and insurance carriers who defend these claims aggressively.

We know how to find coverage others miss. Boating accidents often involve multiple insurance policies—personal liability coverage, commercial policies, umbrella coverage, even employer-provided insurance in some cases. We investigate thoroughly to identify every source of compensation available.

We don’t handle every case that comes through the door. We pursue cases where the negligence is clear, the harm is serious, and we believe we can make a real difference. When we take on a case, we spend time with it—reviewing accident reports, consulting with boating safety experts, and preparing thoroughly for depositions and trial.

We’ve worked with clients in hospitals during recovery and dealt with insurance adjusters trying to lowball settlements. We understand this is about more than paperwork. It’s about holding negligent parties accountable and helping you move forward. Our reputation with defense attorneys and insurance companies means they take our cases seriously from the start.

Common Types of Boating Accident Cases