The investigation into what caused the boating accident that resulted in a fatality continues out on Lake Marion. Hailey Joanne Bordeaux, 21, was a rising senior focused on elementary education at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, and was out on Lake Marion with her boyfriend and a married couple the night of July 4th.
The boat that Ms. Bordeaux was on was at a standstill in the water near Scarborough’s Landing at around 12:30 a.m. when another boat carrying three people, two males and a female, ran over the top of Ms. Bordeaux’s boat. The passengers of the other boat were unharmed, but Ms. Bordeaux died of her injuries at the hospital. She is the fifth fatality this year from boating accidents out on Lake Marion and the surrounding lakes.
There are no posted speed limits on Lake Marion, nor was there any indication of a no-wake zone at the site of the accident. At this point, no charges have been filed against the driver or passengers in the other boat.
South Carolina Boating Accidents
There are 12 major lakes and countless smaller bodies of water to boat on in South Carolina. In 2011, there were 98 boating accidents that occurred in the state. A total of 63 people were injured and 19 were killed as a result of those accidents. According to the United States Coast Guard, the most prevalent types of boating accidents are collisions with another vessel, boat flooding, collisions with fixed objects in the water, skier mishaps, and falling overboard.
A number of factors lead to boating accidents, but the common causes include:
- Operator inattention
- Improper lookout
- Operator inexperience
- Excessive speed
- Machinery failure
- Alcohol use
- Hazardous water
- Weather conditions
- Disobeying rules of the water
- Force of wave/wake.
Compensation for Boating Injuries
If you or someone that you know has been injured in a boating accident, you may have a claim for your injuries. Compensation for boating accidents is there to help restore you and your property to the way it was before the accident. Damages that can be recovered for a boating accident include:
- Past, present, and future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Disability
- Impairment of earnings
- Rehabilitation
- Long-term or in-home care
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Emotional distress
- Funeral costs
- Wrongful death claims
…and other damages that are related to the injuries or death that occurred in a boating accident.
An experienced boating accident attorney knows what damages you are entitled to, can advocate on your behalf in court, and can fight for the compensation that you deserve.
Call South Carolina Boating Accident Attorneys Today
The injuries and death that come from boating accidents can be devastating physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a boating accident near Columbia or in the greater South Carolina area, call or contact the expert boating accident attorneys at the Solomon Law Group today for a free and confidential review of your case.
