By Chattanooga Personal Injury Attorney on July 22, 2011 -
A Tennessee man’s body was recently recovered from Panther Creek a few days after he had left his boat to go for a swim, reports The Times Daily. The loss marks the third member of the man’s family to lose their life in the Tennessee River; in 1970, the man’s older sister and her husband also died during a boating accident on the river near Waterloo.
According to investigators, the search for the lost man began several days before his body was found. He had gone boating on Panther Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River, with three other friends the previous weekend. The friends decided to go for a swim in the river and dived from the boat. When they returned, however, the missing man was not with them.
After searching the area quickly on their own, the man’s three friends called rescue workers, who joined in the search. Soaring summer temperatures and lack of visibility beneath the surface of the water impeded the search, however. The man was not found for several days; his body eventually came to the surface near the mouth of the creek.
Boating on Tennessee’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs can be great fun and offer some much-needed relief from the summer heat. When care is not used, however, boating accidents can result – sometimes, with dangerous or even deadly results. If you have been injured in a boating accident in Tennessee, the experienced boating accident lawyers in Chattanooga at Massey & Associates, P.C., may be able to help. For more information and a free consultation, call us today at 423-697-4529.
By Chattanooga Personal Injury Attorney on July 7, 2011 -
Summer in Tennessee is a great time to visit one of the state’s many lakes and reservoirs for boating fun. Driving a boat or personal watercraft, however, requires concentration, the ability to make good decisions, and the reflexes to take quick action if an emergency arises. All these skills are impaired by alcohol, which means that combining boating and drinking is a recipe for increased danger.
Tennessee law prohibits boaters from operating a boat if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher – the same requirement of motorists driving cars. Although it’s not illegal to have alcohol on a boat, the boat’s driver should avoid drinking until the party is safely on land. Boating accidents such as striking another boat or an underwater hazard, speeding that causes the boat to tip or capsize, and other antics that cause someone to fall overboard can all cause victims to suffer serious injuries.
Each year, boaters in Tennessee and elsewhere suffer head injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and other injuries in boating accidents. Many of these accidents involve a boater who was using alcohol. Since the risk of severe injury in a boating accident in Tennessee increases the more intoxicated a driver gets, drinking and boating can change a person’s life in an instant if a serious accident occurs.
Choosing a designated driver for your boat is one way to reduce the risk of alcohol-related boating accidents. Unfortunately, you cannot prevent other boaters from using alcohol and causing accidents. If you or someone you love has been injured in a boating accident caused by an intoxicated or otherwise negligent boater, contact the experienced boating accident attorneys in Chattanooga at Massey & Associates, P.C. We will carefully examine the specifics of your case and fight to hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. For a free consultation, call our law offices at 423-697-4529 today.
