by David J. Farrell, Jr.
As a general proposition, the best way for an attorney to serve a client is sooner rather than later. This is particularly true when boats, their owners or operators get into trouble because evidence can literally sail away on another vessel or get washed away with the ebbing tide. Regrettably, this is a litigious country. Regardless of how modest your boat or boating budget might be, as the owner of a “yacht” you will frequently be perceived as a “deep pocket” with plenty of money to satisfy a big judgment or at least throw into a settlement in an effort to make an accident claim go away. Therefore, the possibility of involved litigation needs to be addressed immediately after any boating accident.
The boat owner’s personal role in an accident involving injury or collision, of course, will be critical in any subsequent legal proceedings. What is perhaps not so clearly understood, though, is the important role of the boat owner or operator as investigator: his or her observations at the scene, his or her interactions with other witnesses, and the background information he or she can provide will often make or break the case.
