Syracuse, New York, Waterskiing Accident

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Who Has Spent Decades Protecting the Rights of Waterskiing Accident Victims. If You, or a Loved One, Have Been Injured in a Waterskiing or Water Sports Accident That Was Not Your Fault, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Explore Your Best Options for Effective Legal Relief.

Syracuse has a reputation for heavy snow and harsh winters, but its summer months offer ample opportunity for water sports enthusiasts across the region. Even within city limits, Onondaga Lake provides ample space for a variety of aquatic activities. Waterskiing has long been popular, to the point that Syracuse, New York, used to host its stunt shows during Lakefest.

However, waterskiing comes with risks that riders cannot always anticipate, risks that sometimes come at a high cost. If and when operators, spectators, and other boaters make poor decisions, the consequences can be life-altering, leaving victims to cope with intense physical pain and immense financial hardship.

You do not have to pay the price for another person's mistake. For more than 20 years, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has fought to protect the rights of waterskiing accident victims in Syracuse and throughout Upstate New York. We know what it takes to build a compelling, evidence-based case for compensation, and we have the results to prove it. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a personal injury lawyer near Syracuse, New York, and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation.

Although riders often get all the attention, waterskiing is much more of a team sport than many people realize. New York law and local regulations almost always require a team of three for waterskiing. This team, at a minimum, includes the following:

1. The skier, who is responsible for their actions, should be acquainted with the hand signals used to request assistance.
2. The operator, who handles the boat, avoids other vessels and ensures that the skier's well-being is not jeopardized by obvious or foreseeable marine hazards.
3. The observer, who watches the skier and communicates regular status updates to the operator. In New York, observers must be at least 10 years old and familiar with waterskiing hand signals.

Skiers can sometimes use their own experience to assess impending threats and keep themselves safe, but they cannot control the actions of the operator and observer. If communication breaks down between team members, the risk of an accident increases drastically.

Waterskiing can be far more physically taxing than beginners expect. Most accidents are, by extension, somewhat unavoidable, at least until a skier has enough experience to understand and rapidly respond to risk. Strong rotational forces can make the body move in unexpected ways, leading to numerous strains, sprains, and lower leg injuries.

However, waterskiing accidents cannot always be attributed to rider inexperience, and they can, in some cases, pose a potent threat to other boaters. Some of the most common causes of waterskiing accidents include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Inadequate training and safety protocols at waterski rental businesses and other marine activity centers;
2. Environmental risk factors, like poor weather conditions or heavy boat traffic;
3. The consumption of drugs or alcohol, whether by the skier, the observer, the operator, or another boater;
4. Poor-quality or defective safety equipment; and
5. Boaters who are not qualified to operate a watercraft or who are too young or inexperienced to partake in waterskiing activities.

Watercraft accidents have many possible causes, but any act of negligence, no matter how minor, could present a serious risk of severe injury.

Since waterskiing is a physically demanding activity that takes place at speed and on open water, injuries are often complex and multifaceted. Furthermore, injuries can sometimes accumulate, with an initial event, like a sudden fall or a pulled muscle, plunging the skier into the water, raising the risk of blunt force trauma and drowning-related hazards.

In recreational waterskiing and certain types of competitive waterskiing, the “unpredictable nature of falls also makes it possible to incur any injury to any area of the body.” Depending on the initial cause of the accident and the victim’s response, injuries could include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Strains;
2. Sprains;
3. Cuts and lacerations;
4. Bruising and contusions; and
5. Fatal or non-fatal drowning.

Medical researchers have also found that persons struck by watercraft typically experience injuries similar to those of pedestrians hit by cars and trucks. These injuries range in severity, but can encompass everything from dental injuries to traumatic brain injuries and death.

Skiers face an additional and unique risk: the so-called “waterskier’s enema.” If a skier falls at a high rate of speed, the force of water entering their bodily orifices can cause lacerations and extensive internal tissue damage. Men and women alike can be seriously injured by a “waterskier’s enema." Still, women may be at higher risk for complex injuries, including injuries that can make it more difficult to become pregnant.

If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a waterskiing accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to significant compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping our clients assert their right to a fair recovery.

Depending on the circumstances of your accident, our experienced team of personal injury attorneys could help you:

1. Investigate the causes and circumstances of your waterskiing accident;
2. Collect evidence and determine causation;
3. Interview eyewitnesses and retain expert witnesses;
4. Identify defendants;
5. Assess your damages, including the money that you will need long-term;
6. Negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf;
7. Review and counter unfair or unreasonable offers of settlement; and
8. Prepare to take your case to trial.

Since our founding in 2005, we have helped our clients recover more than $250 million in damages. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your 100% free consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!